Three years ago, the Packers’ Matt LaFleur tried to lure Wisconsin defensive coordinator and 10-year NFL veteran Jim Leonhard from Madison to the same position in Green Bay.
Leonhard went through the process, was interviewed by LaFleur and others in the organization, and was hired if he wanted. Finally he said no. LaFleur changed direction and hired Joe Barry as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. Barry lasted three seasons before receiving serious criticism this year. He was fired by LaFleur this week.
Now the position is open again and Leonhard is available after moving from Wisconsin following a coaching change. It’s a seemingly simple proposition that has gained traction on social media and elsewhere. I leave the DC duties to Leonhard. Veteran Packers reporter Pete Dougherty isn’t denying it, but he says it won’t be easy.
“If LaFleur likes him as much as he did three years ago, I think there’s every reason to believe Leonhard will be a contender this time,” Dougherty wrote in this week’s Mailbag. “LaFleur, on the other hand, might not be interested after Leonhard turned him down last time.
I understand that Leonhard was not officially offered the position, but it was implied. And it’s tempting to say, “Why would I want that. ?” May be. “? Someone who didn’t want to come here before?”Leonhard was the name that came up shortly after Barry was fired on Wednesday. After leaving Wisconsin in 2022, he worked as a consultant in Illinois last year, which was not a high-profile job.
If LaFleur still wanted Leonhard, you’d have to think he’d be a slam dunk to get the job this time around. And you will get a lot of support. He’s definitely a local boy, but he approaches things from a player’s perspective. Leonhard went on to have a productive NFL career at Wisconsin, starting for five teams. PackaDay podcast host Andy Herman tweeted/X:
“I don’t know if the Packers will interview Jim Leonhard again or if they are interested. I don’t know if Leonhard would be interested in that. But the last time the Packers offered him a job, the Eagles showed interest in him as defensive coordinator last year, and it seems crazy to say he’s not a great prospect.
But the problem for Leonhard is that his coaching experience spanned seven years in college. His NFL career is encouraging, and the fact that he’s 41 gives hope that he can be more vibrant and innovative than Barry.But he hasn’t had any contact with the NFL in 10 years.
Is the bet worth it now that the Packers have established themselves as a playoff threat after an exciting finish to the 2023 season? “I think Leonhard is an interesting candidate,” Dougherty wrote. “He was a very successful DC at Wisconsin and played 10 years in the NFL, so he knows how the league works and how NFL defenses work. However, he hasn’t been in the NFL since 2014, so the direct move to D.C. after a decade out of the league it could be a learning curve.
