ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler can confirm what is already being assumed by many: the job of Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry is on the line to finish the 2023 season.
According to reporting from Fowler, “the heat is on” Barry, and the Packers’ defensive coordinator job is “on the radar of many in the coaching industry.”
Coach Matt LaFleur stuck with Barry despite the defense giving up 34 points and a perfect passer rating to Baker Mayfield in a 14-point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
Over the last two weeks, Mayfield and New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito — who led a game-winning drive over the Packers — were named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after facing Barry’s struggling defense, dealing a major blow to the team’s playoff chances.
The Packers were once 6-6 and cruising toward a potential playoff spot as a wildcard team in the NFC, but a pair of crushingly disappointing defeats to teams with losing records has the Packers at 6-8 and on the outside looking in with three games to play.
Fowler’s report suggests Barry can still save his job over the final three weeks. The Packers play Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, a backup quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17 and Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears in the season finale. Green Bay likely needs to win all three to make the postseason.
Maybe the most intriguing part of the report is Fowler’s point on other coaches tracking the situation. With high draft picks and established veterans on the defense and a young, improving offense with a quarterback and playcaller in place, the Packers situation could be an attractive one for a defensive coordinator candidate in 2024. And if LaFleur makes the right hire, the defense could get turned around quickly, potentially making the Packers a legitimate contender next season.
At this point, it’s unclear if LaFleur would have to fire Barry after the 2023 season or if Barry’s contract would simply be left to expire. Most coordinators get three-year deals, and this season is Year 3 for Barry in Green Bay. If Barry’s deal is about to end, it’s difficult to imagine LaFleur and the Packers be willing to give him a new deal to return.