Stenavich Promoted Amidst Flurry Of Changes

Despite reaching back-to-back NFC Championship games in his first two years as coach, Matt LaFleur was able to keep his offensive staff together for three seasons. That stability came to an end this week as two coaches have already left, and a third has one foot out the door. The following is a look at the changes and how they could affect the Packers in the future:

? BRONCOS HIRE NATHANIEL HACKETT AS COACH

For months, this felt like a possibility, and it became a reality late last week. While Hackett certainly deserves to be a head coach, it’s fair to wonder how much Denver GM George Paton was thinking about Aaron Rodgers when he chose the personable 42-year-old over Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. It’s no secret how close Hackett and Rodgers became the past three years. If the soon-to-be crowned four-time MVP is truly undecided about where he wants to play next season, this could certainly factor into his ultimate decision.

? BEARS NAME LUKE GETSY OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Unlike Hackett moving on, this probably took LaFleur a bit by surprise. Getsy was the obvious choice to become Green Bay’s new offensive coordinator, but that plan had to change after Matt Eberflus got the top job in Chicago. The former Colts defensive coordinator offered Getsy something the Packers couldn’t – the opportunity to call plays. That’s obviously a big deal for an ambitious young assistant who has designs on being a head coach sooner rather than later. As was the case with Hackett, this departure could also affect Rodgers, who’s now seen his second close ally walk out the door.

? ADAM STENAVICH PROMOTED TO OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR

This was the obvious move after both Hackett and Getsy moved on. It’s difficult to believe Stenavich was an assistant O-line coach with the 49ers just three years ago, and now he’s in command of the entire offense in Green Bay. And while the 38-year-old is considered a rising star, this promotion came a little sooner than anybody expected. How Stenavich does next season will probably depend on who’s playing quarterback for the Packers. Speaking of which, you again have to wonder how this move will affect Rodgers’ thinking. As previously mentioned, he was extremely tight with Hackett and Getsy and may not be thrilled about returning to an offense with a first-time coordinator in charge – a first-time coordinator he certainly knows and respects but hasn’t worked all that closely with for the past three years.

? LUKE BUTKUS PROMOTED TO OFFENSIVE LINE COACH

This was a no-brainer. Butkus assisted Stenavich for the past three seasons, so the transition should be as smooth as possible for the players. What’s not as certain is whether the 42-year-old nephew of legendary Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus will also replace Stenavich as the team’s run game coordinator. That might be putting too much of on his plate. There’s a better chance LaFleur decides to eliminate that job in 2022 and have some of the assistants divvy up the duties.

? JASON VRABLE TO RECEIVE MORE RESPONSIBILITIES

After striking out in attempts to bring Getsy or Stenavich with him to Denver, Hackett quickly turned his attention to Vrable, the Packers wide receivers coach for the past two seasons. That also didn’t work out. To keep the 37-year-old from leaving, LaFleur most likely offered him the title of passing game coordinator, which had belonged to Getsy (along with a substantial raise). It’ll be very interesting to see whether Vrable stays with the wide receivers or moves to the quarterbacks. After all, his resume is strikingly similar to the one Getsy brought with him to Green Bay in January of 2019.

? BRONCOS EXPECTED TO HIRE JUSTIN OUTTEN AS OC

The Packers were able to use promotions and pay bumps to keep Stenavich and Vrable away from Hackett, but there doesn’t appear to be anything keeping Outten from leaving. Going from coaching tight ends to being in charge of an entire offense would be hard to turn down. Plus, after saying no to his top two choices, it’s hard to imagine LaFleur giving Hackett yet another stiff arm. As for who’d replace Outten, the in-house favorite would be 34-year-old quality control coach Ryan Mahaffey, a former NFL running back who worked with tight ends at Northern Iowa and Western Kentucky.

? TWO OUTSIDERS INTERVIEWED FOR OC JOB

It was surprising at first to find out that LaFleur interviewed Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson and Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger for the offensive coordinator position, but as I pointed out on Twitter, this had to happen before Stenavich could be hired. The NFL now requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for any coordinator job. That said, Johnson and Koger, who was with the Packers in 2020, are up-and-coming young assistant coaches, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one or both of them in Green Bay down the road. They would likely be candidates for open positions right now, but it’s highly doubtful the Eagles and Chargers would allow them to make lateral moves.

? MAURICE DRAYTON IS STILL EMPLOYED

Most people wanted the first-year coordinator to be fired in the locker room immediately following the epic special teams meltdown against the 49ers, but he’s still employed over a week later. While it’s difficult to imagine Drayton keeping his job, other factors at work could come into play. One is that LaFleur has already fired three assistants since 2020. Another is that Drayton would be the second Black coach let go after only one season. That wouldn’t be the best of looks for an organization that already lags behind when it comes to minorities on the coaching staff and in the front office. The guess here is that LaFleur will ultimately decide to make a change, but it’s not the slam dunk most assumed it would be after what will go down as one of the worst special teams performances in the long history of the National Football League.