Packers seem primed to let Jim Leonhard slip away

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Jim Leonhard prior to the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Packers seem primed to let Jim Leonhard slip through their hands in favor of Joe Barry

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 2/20/23

Joe Barry is going to get another season with the Green Bay Packers. That's not guaranteed at this point of the offseason, of course, but head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear at the end of the 2022 campaign that he wanted to stick with Barry moving forward.

This is despite the fact that Green Bay's talented defense vastly underperformed in 2022. Despite having multiple first-round picks on the unit, the Packers were ranked 17th in yards given up per game and points per game (336.5 and 21.8 respectively), and 12th in the league in takeaways with 24.

Those aren't terrible stats, of course, but as mentioned, Barry's unit vastly underachieved.

With a new era of Green Bay football potentially on the horizon with Aaron Rodgers' future up in the air, one would think this would be the perfect opportunity for LaFleur to switch gears and bring in a defensive coordinator who can add some juice to his defense. That opportunity seems even more real now considering the fact that the University of Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is interviewing for NFL jobs.

The #Eagles have interviewed former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard as they look to fill their DC job, per league source. Leonhard was a 10-year NFL safety who is respected in league circles.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 20, 2023

What more could LaFleur ask for? Leonard has long been considered one of the best defensive coordinators in college football, and he's been at Wisconsin since 2016 (including being the interim head coach last season after Paul Chryst was fired). Add in Leonhard's considerable NFL experience and he would seem like a homerun hire for the Packers.

He basically grew up as a coach in Green Bay's backyard. Meanwhile, Barry is best known for being the defensive coordinator for the 2008 0-16 Detroit Lions and despite a good first season in Green Bay, his unit regressed last season.

Of course, there's little to suggest that LaFleur has the courage to make this kind of change. His administration has been frustratingly slow to adjust, which means that more than likely, Leonhard will slip through the Packers' hands.

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