Official 2026 NFL Black Monday Thread

[Anti-Polar Bear]

If the Packers go 1 and done (again), I reckon, trade The Frog straight up for Mike McDaniel.

[pbmax]

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2026/01/03/green-bay-packers-matt-lafleur-contract-update-ed-policy/88008837007/

Policy gives LaFleur credit for team improvement within the Division despite injuries.

[Joemailman]

Raiders fire Pete Carroll. Somehow, the GM remains.

[Joemailman]

Fired So Far

Brian Callahan - Tennessee
Brian Daboll - New York Giants
Raheem Morris - Atlanta
Kevin Stefanski - Cleveland
Pete Carroll - Las Vegas

[bobblehead]

That is very mediocre performance, especially when you consider their playoff record the last 3 years. If they are one and done this year, I would not be surprised if a change is made. I've said for several years that the team just does not seem to establish an identity. No consistency, at all.

As for injuries this year, I don't see it as much of an excuse. Kraft is good, but hasn't ever been a real focus of the passing game. If you don't feature a guy, does losing him really hurt what you want to do all that much? Parsons isn't a guy they had planned on having anyway. Essentially, the effect of the Parsons injury was like losing Kenny Clark for the remainder of the season. Jenkins wasn't playing well, so no real loss there. Wyatt has been more expectation than performance so far in his career. I don't see that injuries give any excuse.

Essentially, I think this coaching staff has continually failed to maximize what the roster consists of at any given time, from year to year with and without injuries.

Have to disagree with you. Kraft had fully broken out and was THE focal point of the offense. He had become our Kittles. Wyatt has been damn good as well. The failure of this team is all on the GM. He simply drafts for shit in the early rounds and overpays for guys that he shouldn't. I could go on and on, but I've laid it out several times. Gutes has hamstrung his coach at every turn. I gave him a small pass early on because we were winning 13 games a year, but once he lost the TT legacy guys we have mired in mediocrity....because we have a good coach.

[pbmax]

Raiders fire Pete Carroll. Somehow, the GM remains.

Tom Brady?

[bobblehead]

Essentially, I think this coaching staff has continually failed to maximize what the roster consists of at any given time, from year to year with and without injuries.

Trying to figure out what the stellar roster has here. Is it Gary instead of Burns or Sweat. Shit we could have drafted Sweat instead of savage. McGinn's scouts had savage as the 6th best DB in that draft and we made him the first one off the board. The entire planet wanted Creed Humphry, we got Meyers. Want to talk about taking Amari Rodgers as our gadget guy instead of Kenny Gainwell who I wanted? The day we drafted kraft I told you he was a better TE than the track star chip n dales dancer we took in the 2nd round. Gutes has failed over and over, and its not hindsight. These are all things I saw immediately. Even this year. How long have we wanted a 1st round WR when there were big guys available like Pittman and we didn't have any real WR talent?? We wait until we are loaded at the position and finally pick a skinny track star. Could have had Josh Simmons who just finished a successful season at LT for the chiefs.

the roster has been a hot mess of lesser talent since he took over. Rodgers and MiLF helped cover it up for awhile, but then we paid a decent QB like he's Rodgers or Josh Allen. Now we have a problem and MiLF will probably pay the price.....but he won't go to dallas and fail like fat mike. He'll make someone really happy.

[pbmax]

A name and memory popped up in head and was going to post as a possible replacement should Hafley leave. But when checking on spelling, it became obvious this D coordinator candidate isn't going anywhere next offseason.

Anthony Campanile, left here as linebackers coach (widely well regarded) and is the D coordinator for the 13-4 Jacksonville Jaguars.

[bobblehead]

I think the record is pretty mixed. I don’t agree on Wyatt or Watson or Walker, to give more examples. Wyatt showed plenty on the stat sheet in pressures against the pass and the run D post his injury is a good exhibit for his value there.

Watson has improved each year in spite of injuries. Walker isn’t lights out at MLB, but he is miles better than as a rookie. Running back in general has been good. More on that below.

The failings have been on the offensive line and at cornerback. A team that has demonstrated a capacity to find both in previous years shouldn’t be struggling like this. It was also a bad year for Gute to miss in FA though that looks better if Banks continues to settle down to adequate. I think Jenkins being miserable surprised them but his mini holdout shouldn’t have.

I am disappointed by those positions this year but I think that the front office contributed disarray there.

My main question is about LaFleur and the passing game. It’s never come together consistently like the run game. I think he needs help there. I mean seriously, it’s weirdly non functional for too many games. If he cobbled together passing like he does the run game then the offense would be remarkable. Hadley has outdone LaFleur as a coordinator this year. If I am the front office, I need to find out why the disconnect. The o line did not help this year at all and that’s on both the offensive coaches and the FO.

Watson at least wasn't a first, but he is an example of a guy who developed just in time to pay. Walker sucks. No instincts. Think of how good we would look with Peyton Wilson in coverage instead of Quay "I'm lost" Walker. Wyatt is the only first round pick Gutes ever made that I agreed with.

[bobblehead]

My main question is about LaFleur and the passing game. It’s never come together consistently like the run game. I think he needs help there. I mean seriously, it’s weirdly non functional for too many games. If he cobbled together passing like he does the run game then the offense would be remarkable. Hadley has outdone LaFleur as a coordinator this year. If I am the front office, I need to find out why the disconnect. The o line did not help this year at all and that’s on both the offensive coaches and the FO.

I would point to about 20 first rounds of draft capital compared to Love, a guy out of position (gutes drafted him to be a RG, make no mistake) and an undersized WR as the only first round talent. Maybe Gutes did draft Morgan to play LT and Belton to play RG and MiLF just simply defied him until now....but I'm doubting it.

[pbmax]

Watson at least wasn't a first, but he is an example of a guy who developed just in time to pay. Walker sucks. No instincts. Think of how good we would look with Peyton Wilson in coverage instead of Quay "I'm lost" Walker. Wyatt is the only first round pick Gutes ever made that I agreed with.

Talked earlier about the cap and the fact that there might be a surprise cut/release/let go to clear space. Letting Walker go now could be an option to free up space, get younger players moved up. Would be a cap savings only in the future, but they need that too.

I agree his instincts in space aren't great. Cooper is so much better at being in position in that zone. Walker floats out of position too often.

[pbmax]

I would point to about 20 first rounds of draft capital compared to Love, a guy out of position (gutes drafted him to be a RG, make no mistake) and an undersized WR as the only first round talent. Maybe Gutes did draft Morgan to play LT and Belton to play RG and MiLF just simply defied him until now....but I'm doubting it.

Its not defying him to plus in the most talented into a position of need. Morgan getting time at guard is not unheard of here, nor around the League.

In camp Morgan seemed a lock at LT until Walker got healthy AND there was an injury along the line (maybe it was Jenkins getting banged up). Then he moved to get the "best five on the field".

compared to Love, a guy out of position (gutes drafted him to be a RG, make no mistake)

Who are you saying was definitely drafted to be RG in that sentence? Morgan? I kinda doubt it was Love.

[bobblehead]

Its not defying him to plus in the most talented into a position of need. Morgan getting time at guard is not unheard of here, nor around the League.

In camp Morgan seemed a lock at LT until Walker got healthy AND there was an injury along the line (maybe it was Jenkins getting banged up). Then he moved to get the "best five on the field".



Who are you saying was definitely drafted to be RG in that sentence? Morgan? I kinda doubt it was Love.

Well, I wasn't saying Love was out of position :P

[pbmax]

Have to disagree with you. Kraft had fully broken out and was THE focal point of the offense. He had become our Kittles. Wyatt has been damn good as well. The failure of this team is all on the GM. He simply drafts for shit in the early rounds and overpays for guys that he shouldn't. I could go on and on, but I've laid it out several times. Gutes has hamstrung his coach at every turn. I gave him a small pass early on because we were winning 13 games a year, but once he lost the TT legacy guys we have mired in mediocrity....because we have a good coach.

Good call on Kraft here.

[pbmax]

Will say this, I *think* the team values Walker more than we do. Will be an interesting offseason as his price could have gone up after they declined to offer the 5th year option.

Could also be that they didn't offer the extension because this is his last year.