Hiring Jeff Hafley: How the Packers' search got here, what his arrival means, and what comes next

The Packers' surprising decision to hire Jeff Hafley as their new DC raises several questions.

More than in past hiring cycles, the Green Bay Packers took a clandestine approach to their search for a new defensive coordinator. Few names surfaced publicly during the process, and the ones that made news only did so because of the NFL's policy of submitting formal interview requests. For the rest of the candidates, the team made every effort to conceal their discussions.

The veil of secrecy finally lifted Wednesday evening when the Packers announced Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as their choice to revamp their defense.

"Jeff has had success at every stop of his coaching career with an impressive track record of developing players at every level," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in a statement. "We look forward to him leading our defense"

In the week since Green Bay fired defensive coordinator Joe Barry and began the search for his replacement, many coaches emerged as contenders for the job. However, Hafley's name didn't appear on any candidate list, including The Leap's. It remains unclear exactly when the Packers set their sights on the Boston College headman, but either the process didn't begin with him or LaFleur kept that information from most at 1265 Lombardi Ave.

But just because the move comes as a surprise doesn't necessarily mean it lacks a rationale. Back in 2019, few pegged LaFleur as the front-runner during the Packers' search to replace head coach Mike McCarthy. Yet, LaFleur ultimately landed the job, producing back-to-back-to-back 13-win seasons, four playoff berths in five years, and a 59-31 overall record.

Hafley doesn't have to provide the defensive equivalent of LaFleur's success to justify his hiring. Rather, Green Bay only needs to play up to its talent on that side of the ball, a standard it failed to meet under previous defensive coordinators.

So, with the hiring completed, several questions now emerge: How did the Packers' search get to this point, what does Hafley's arrival in Green Bay mean for the defense, and what comes next?