The Green Bay Packers got their new defensive coordinator this week. Having spent nearly half a decade as the head coach of Boston College Eagles, Jeff Hafley returns to the NFL. The decision to give the pros another shot came after Hafley felt alienated from the college football environment. ESPN reported that Hafley simply wants to focus more on coaching football and less on the intricacies of recruiting in college, especially with NIL’s arrival.
There are a lot of fans excited about the potential that Hafley brings to the Packers’ defense. However, it was reported today that Green Bay had made an offer to someone else prior to hiring Hafley.
The Ravens promoted from within to replace former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald with inside linebackers coach and ex-Ravens linebacker Zach Orr.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Orr interviewed with the Packers on Tuesday and they were ready to extend him an offer.
The 31-year-old is considered one of the brightest defensive coaches in football, and has coached for the NFL since 2017. Having coached the Ravens’ inside linebackers since 2022, he has been widely credited with helping Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen become one of the league’s top linebacker pairs. In 2023, both players were named to the Pro Bowl.
For the defensive coordinator position, the Packers interviewed several candidates. Denard Wilson, another candidate who interviewed with the Packers, became defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. It will be interesting to see how Hafley plays out with the Packers.
