Green Bay Packers: Is Matt LaFleur A Top 10 NFL Head Coach? Some ESPN Experts Don’t Think So

Is Green Bay Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Still One of the Best in the NFL?

When Matt LaFleur was hired by the Green Bay Packers in 2019, he was an unproven disciple of renowned offensive guru Sean McVay. After serving as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans, LaFleur had a disappointing season in charge, with the Titans being 27th in scoring offense on the year.

Fast-forward to modern day, and LaFleur is one of the longest-tenured head coaches in the league (7th, to be exact). One of the brilliant offensive minds in the sport, LaFleur’s Packers have been a high-level offense for his entire career.

That being said, LaFleur still has his detractors. Despite being one of the winningest and most consistent coaches in the regular season, his lack of postseason success is noticeable. With just a 3-5 playoff record, LaFleur does not stand out as one of the more proven coaches in January and February.

Nonetheless, LaFleur’s 70 career wins is high on the list in terms of current head coaches. The question is, is LaFleur still respected as one of the best coaches in the league?

ESPN Experts Mina Kimes and Kevin Clark Debate Matt LaFleur’s Head Coach Ranking

Two ESPN experts, namely Mina Kimes and Kevin Clark, did their annual head coach rankings list this week and had a bit of a disagreement on whether LaFleur was still a top 10 coach in the NFL.

Kimes had LaFleur ranked as #9, with names like Minnesota Vikings boss Kevin O’Connell and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin slightly ahead of him. Clark meanwhile, left LaFleur completely off his top 10 list. Clark included Green Bay’s head man on his top 10 last season, but dropped him off for this season. A friendly debate between the two ensued.

Kimes was quick to point out a simple yet revealing piece of evidence in support of rating LaFleur as among the best.

“He kept that offense afloat with Malik Willis.”

It is true that most NFL teams cannot survive a starting QB going down. In LaFleur’s last season as the OC in Tennessee, part of the struggles revolved around the health of starting signal-caller Marcus Mariota. The teams that are able to succeed with backup QBs usually involve one or both of two things: elite talent on most other positions, or elite coaching.

The Packers certainly have a decent roster, but it is far below that of a Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles team. Willis’ success has more to do with LaFleur’s steady hand. Willis not only winning but excelling in three games as the starter are evidence that LaFleur was able to place a relatively inexperienced QB in positions to succeed, something many other coaches fail at.

Clark admitted that his lowering of LaFleur’s ranking had to do with other coaches rising as opposed to LaFleur falling, and said that he still thinks of LaFleur as one of the coaches in the upper tier of NFL bosses. It’s possible that Clark’s ranking is emblematic of media and fans beginning to start underrating LaFleur. In a league that demands results, LaFleur has another shot at securing his status as one of the best coaches in this upcoming season.