Welcome back to another edition of the Ask Maggie mailbag. I know we’re only two weeks into this thing, but it’s been a lot of fun to get to write about so many topics. Your questions have been great. Please keep them coming! Now let’s dive in. 

What are the chances of Rhyan getting a new GB contract? Is there a “shut down” corner in this year’s draft that we’ll have a shot at? - Cotreq

Others may disagree with this take, but I think Sean Rhyan has a better shot at a second contract with the Packers than Rasheed Walker does. Spotrac is estimating Walker’s market value at approximately $20 million a season. Given how valuable left tackle play is in the NFL, I don’t think the Packers would be willing to meet that number, and I’m sure there’s a team that’s willing to overpay for his services. Especially if the Packers plan to play Jordan Morgan at left tackle moving forward. Rhyan is only 25 and won’t cost nearly as much as some of the other options that will be available in free agency. It’s also not sounding like this is a strong draft class for interior linemen, specifically centers, so the Packers may just run it back with some combination of a healthy Elgton Jenkins, Aaron Banks, Anthony Belton, and Rhyan. Maybe throw Jacob Monk in there, too. 

As far as your question about shutdown corners, 52 is a tough place to be picking. Obviously the Packers are without their first round pick for the next two seasons, so they’d have to get creative bundling picks to move up into “shutdown” range. I’m also not entirely convinced that a cornerback will be their first selection in this year’s draft. I would like to think that’s a position Green Bay is looking to improve, but I could also see them prioritizing offensive line (depending on what happens with the guys mentioned above), edge rush, and defensive line. They also just invested some significant money in Nate Hobbs. Moving on from him would cost $12 million in dead cap space. That alone might prevent them from using a Day 2 pick on a defensive back. I don’t do a ton of draft study until after the Senior Bowl and the Combine because I like to have those numbers in front of me, but keep an eye on Daylen Everette if you’re looking at corners. If being a Georgia Bulldog didn’t already have him on Gutekunst’s radar, his height and ability in man coverage will. He’ll be at the Senior Bowl, too. 

“I’d love your take on “are the Packers cheap with their coaches” discussions.” - Lars

I don’t think it’s a secret that the Packers pay less than other teams in the league, and that certainly can factor into what caliber of coaches are willing to come to Green Bay. That isn’t necessarily just at head coach, but the entire coaching staff. There’s a trickle down effect. Green Bay has one of the greenest (no pun intended) coaching staffs when it comes to external NFL experience. Justis Mosqueda has done some incredible work breaking down the numbers further, so be sure to check out his writing.

Now, for coaches looking for a first opportunity or for a springboard with a respected head coach, they might be willing to come to a place like Green Bay for the name recognition of working under LaFleur and being a part of that Shanahan/McVay tree. The money may not be as big of a factor for them. But any time we as fans collectively talk about acquiring someone like Mike McDaniel to be an offensive coordinator, it just wouldn’t seem plausible to me from a financial standpoint (and that’s assuming he’d be okay taking a job where he doesn’t get to call plays as OC). The same was true before John Harbaugh was linked to the Giants. If the Packers were struggling to come to a fair extension with LaFleur, there was no way they’d be willing to pay Harbaugh’s salary. 

I’m not sure what’s going to happen with this Green Bay coaching staff, but it sounds like LaFleur, should he stay head coach, is all but convinced he’s losing Jeff Hafley to a head coaching gig elsewhere in the league. While I personally think now is the time to land a big name to replace him, especially with the allure of working with a player like Micah Parsons, it certainly feels more like the “Packers Way” to make an internal promotion. DeMarcus Covington would be my pick for that, assuming he doesn’t land a DC job elsewhere or leave with Hafley. 

But all of the discussion about how the Packers pay their coaching staff did make me wonder how much of his staff LaFleur has gotten stuck with over time. We now know retaining Mike Pettine as DC was a nonnegotiable when LaFleur was initially hired because Green Bay didn’t want to pay out the Pettine coaching staff and LaFleur’s new defensive coaching staff. So I’m certainly not absolving LaFleur of criticism, there are a number of things he should have cleaned up by now as a long time head coach in the NFL. However, if he’s working under financial limitations or staffing limitations where a lot of these decisions aren’t truly his to make, I can understand a little bit more why some of these repeated issues keep happening. The lack of experience from the supporting cast catches up over time.

“Assuming Matt sticks around, what, if any, coaching changes would you like to see within the ranks?” - Jim

I kind of talked about this in my last response, but I think it’s all going to depend on Hafley. Unless Hafley wants to stay in Green Bay and doesn’t love any of the head coaching opportunities he’s interviewed for, I think he’s probably out the door. Maybe he has unfinished business with the Packers and wants another year with Micah and a Super Bowl victory (see what I did there) under his belt to make him the most desirable candidate in next year’s head coaching cycle. But if Hafley’s gone, and we’re assuming he’s taking at least part of the defensive coaching staff with him, then at that point I’m looking for more sweeping changes across the board. Hafley is the only coordinator I would keep, personally. 

There’s what I would like to see, though, and what I think is likely to happen in Green Bay. And I have a hard time seeing the Packers going all-in on three new, external coordinator hires. I could honestly see a world where Sean Mannion is the internal elevation to OC, Covington is the internal hire to DC, and Byron Storer (assistant special teams coach) is elevated for ST.

But I think if the Packers are going to go all-in on LaFleur, part of that will need to include giving him an all-star supporting cast. If the Packers theoretically have a two-year window left to go all-in for a Super Bowl, let Matt pick his dream team of who’s available, money being no object. McDaniel as OC? Sure! His pal Raheem Morris for DC? Why not! Those are two hires that are likely leaving in a year or two for new head coaching opportunities, anyway. Build an Avengers of coaches, win a Super Bowl, and then elevate some internal hires that have worked under McDaniel and Morris (in this hypothetical universe) in 2028 once you’ve kicked the can and LaFleur has proven himself as the long term head coach. 

If LaFleur goes into 2026 as the head coach with the exact same coaching staff, including coordinators and position coaches, then I’m going to have some concerns because it would feel like he’s unwilling to make adjustments (unless he’s being flat out told he has no budget to make changes, but that’s its own issue).

“Packers legends truly enjoy seeing their former team rise to the top. Examples: LeRoy Butler, Mark Tauscher, Mike Wahle, Bryan Bulaga. Who do you believe would be good mentors as part of the staff? Donald Driver could be very useful.” - Maurice

I trimmed this one down a little bit so I hope I’m still getting to the crux of your question, Maurice! But this is a good one, because you’re right, a lot of former players certainly have opinions about the Packers and want them to succeed. In the last few weeks I’ve seen a handful of former Packers on various outlets talking about the future of the team. 

It’s truly unfortunate that Al Harris is the defensive pass game coordinator and DBs coach for the Bears, because he would be fantastic in Green Bay. (DC if Hafley leaves, anyone?) But I think that type of mental toughness in addition to the physical toughness is something that’s needed on this football team. Harris made an impact with the Cowboys secondary and now coaches up the best secondary in the NFL when it comes to generating turnovers. That’s an area where the Packers struggled to finish in 2025. 

On the offensive side of the ball, I’m actually going to say TJ Lang. Anytime there was a late hit or a dust up in a Packers game, you knew #70 was going to be right in the thick of it protecting his teammates. I want more of that from this roster in 2026. I think that’s something this team is missing. So give me Harris and Lang for that reason. They’d have the attitude to get their players responding the right way, and they’d also help strengthen some existing positions of weakness given the positions they played themselves. Nobody could whip Green Bay’s interior o-line into shape faster than Lang. 

Who you got, readers? Drop me your picks. And don’t forget to submit your questions to [email protected] or leave them in the comments for me.