Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers might have swung and missed on their top option at defensive coordinator for the second consecutive hiring cycle.
According to reporting from Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Packers offered the defensive coordinator job to then Baltimore Ravens inside linebackers coach Zach Orr, who turned down the offer and was instead promoted to defensive coordinator in Baltimore.
The Packers instead hired Boston College coach Jeff Hafley to replace Joe Barry.
In 2021, the Packers wanted Wisconsin Badgers defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard to take over for Mike Pettine, but Leonhard turned down the offer and stayed in Madison, and LaFleur later hired Barry.
In 2023, the big domino to fall was the Seattle Seahawks hiring Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald as their new head coach. McDonald departing Baltimore opened the door for Orr — a rising star in the coaching industry — to remain with the Ravens in a new, prominent role.
Who could blame Orr for staying in Baltimore? He signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2014, became an All-Pro linebacker with the franchise in 2016 and was immediately put on John Harbaugh’s coaching staff after retiring from the game due to a neck condition. Orr has spent the last 10 seasons with the Ravens.
Had the defensive coordinator job in Baltimore not opened, it’s possible Orr would have left to join the Packers in the same job. He has head coaching aspirations, and serving as a defensive coordinator might be the final box he needs to check.
While Orr remains in Baltimore, the Packers will hope Hafley — who coordinated a dominant defense at Ohio State in 2019 — can provide meaningful and valuable improvement for a talented but inconsistent defense. LaFleur’s team believes it is entering a new Super Bowl window, and improvement on defense must be a part of the championship equation.
The Packers cast a wide net and interviewed several candidates for the defensive coordinator job. Dennard Wilson, another candidate who interviewed with the Packers, took a job as the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator.