Green Bay Packers Have Inside Track To Hire Rising Star Coach
The dust has barely settled on the Green Bay Packers hiring Jonathan Gannon as their new defensive coordinator, and already the rumor mill is spinning about who might join him. It’s the nature of the NFL offseason—coaches come, coaches go, and staffs get rebuilt in the blink of an eye.
Green Bay Packers Need To Fill Holes
But this year feels a little different for the Packers. The coaching carousel isn’t just spinning; it’s practically flinging people across the country. With former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley heading to Miami to lead the Dolphins, he’s reportedly taking some familiar faces with him. This exodus leaves Matt LaFleur with holes to fill, but it also opens a fascinating door. Could the Packers raid the desert for another rising star?
The Miami Exodus Creates an Opening
Reports indicate that Hafley is bringing Packers defensive backs coach Ryan Downard and potentially linebackers coach Sean Duggan to South Beach. Duggan is even rumored to be in the mix for the defensive coordinator role under Hafley.
While losing continuity stings, it’s a reality of having a successful staff. Good coaches get poached. However, this specifically leaves the Packers with a vacancy at linebackers coach—a critical position in any defense, but especially for a team transitioning back to a system that needs athletic, play-making linebackers.
This is where the new guy, Jonathan Gannon, comes in. Head coaches and coordinators love familiarity. They want assistants who speak their language, know their scheme, and can hit the ground running. And Gannon has a “right-hand man” in Arizona who fits that bill perfectly.
Who is Nick Rallis?
If you haven’t heard of Nick Rallis yet, you will soon. He is widely considered one of the brightest young defensive minds in football.
At just 32 years old, Rallis has already built an impressive resume. He served as Gannon’s defensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals, where he called the plays. Before that, the two worked closely together in Philadelphia, where Rallis was the linebackers coach during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run in 2022.
That 2022 season in Philly is the blueprint. Under Rallis’s coaching, the Eagles’ linebackers thrived. T.J. Edwards had a career year with 159 tackles, helping anchor a defense that racked up 70 sacks. Rallis knows how to get the best out of his players, and he knows exactly what Gannon wants to execute on Sundays.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network recently listed Rallis as a “rising star” to watch, noting that many in the league believe it’s a matter of when, not if, he runs his own show as a head coach someday.
Why the Move Makes Sense for the Green Bay Packers
So, why would Rallis leave a defensive coordinator job in Arizona to potentially take a “lesser” role or a co-coordinator role in Green Bay?
It comes down to stability and opportunity. The situation in Arizona is in flux, and while Rallis is under contract, the Cardinals might be heading in a new direction depending on their own head coaching decisions. Meanwhile, Green Bay offers a chance to reunite with a mentor in Gannon and work with a defense that is ready to win now.
Bringing Rallis to Green Bay would be a home run for several reasons:
- Scheme Familiarity: Implementing a new defense takes time. having a lieutenant who knows the playbook inside and out accelerates that process. Rallis can translate Gannon’s vision to the players instantly.
- Developing Talent: The Packers have heavily invested in their linebacker corps, specifically with young talent like Edgerrin Cooper. Rallis has a proven track record of developing linebackers. Imagine what he could do with Cooper’s athleticism.
- Youth and Energy: Matt LaFleur has never shied away from hiring young coaches. Rallis fits the mold of the energetic, forward-thinking teacher that LaFleur values.
Other Candidates to Watch
While Rallis is the dream target, he isn’t the only potential addition from Gannon’s past.
Matt Feeney, the Cardinals’ outside linebackers coach, is another name to keep an eye on. If the Packers decide to split their defensive line coaching duties (separating interior and edge rushers), Feeney could be a natural fit to coach the pass rushers.
There is also Jeff Howard, currently the safeties coach for the Seahawks. Howard and Gannon worked together as assistants in Minnesota, and with Ryan Downard leaving for Miami, the Packers suddenly have a massive hole in their secondary coaching staff. Howard would bring experience and a shared background with the new DC.
The Bottom Line
The next few weeks will be crucial for Matt LaFleur. He needs to rebuild a defensive staff that has been raided by Miami, and he needs to do it while installing a new defensive identity.
Hiring Jonathan Gannon was step one. But a coordinator is only as good as the assistants around him. By targeting a rising star like Nick Rallis, the Packers wouldn’t just be filling a vacancy; they would be adding a high-level tactician who could help turn this defense into a juggernaut.
