WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

01/17 19:02 CST Packers and coach Matt LaFleur agree to contract extension, AP source says Packers and coach Matt LaFleur agree to contract extension, AP source says By STEVE MEGARGEE AP Sports Writer Matt LaFleur has agreed to terms on a contract extension to remain the Packers' coach, a week after Green Bay's season ended with a wild-card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced. ESPN and NFL Network first reported the agreement. LaFleur had one year remaining on his contract. New Packers president and CEO Ed Policy had said last summer he would prefer not to have a lame-duck coach, saying it "creates a lot of issues." Green Bay has missed the playoffs only once under LaFleur, who has a regular-season record of 76-40-1 (.654). The only active coaches with better winning percentages over a minimum of 50 games are Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni (.694), the Los Angeles Chargers' Jim Harbaugh (.679) and Buffalo's Sean McDermott (.662). But LaFleur hasn't been able to get the Packers to a Super Bowl. Green Bay won its last title in the 2010 season and hasn't played in the Super Bowl since. LaFleur's future was in doubt after Packers' wild-card loss to the Bears, in which they led 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 through three quarters. Green Bay went 9-8-1 and finished with five straight losses, although LaFleur rested his starters in the meaningless regular-season finale. LaFleur is 3-6 in the playoffs, including five losses in his past six games. The Packers lost back-to-back NFC championship games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. They owned the NFC's No. 1 seed in 2020 and 2021 but lost at home both years. While cleaning out their lockers Monday, several Packers players said they hoped LaFleur would return. All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons said LaFleur was among the reasons he had expressed interest in Green Bay before the Packers acquired him from the Dallas Cowboys in August. Parsons said he mentioned that to LaFleur after hearing that the coach's job might be in jeopardy. "He's a great guy and I just think he cares so much, like he cares so much about the players," Parsons said. "I don't think people realize that. And you can get spoiled with a good coach and good people, and you don't realize until they're gone and I don't want to be at that point where we realize like, ?Damn, we let such a great coach go.'" LaFleur led the Packers to NFC North titles in each of his first three seasons with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, and he kept Green Bay competitive after Rodgers was traded in 2023. The Packers have made the playoffs in each of their first three seasons with Jordan Love as the starter. But those three appearances all came as the NFC's seventh seed. The Packers limped into the postseason in 2024, too, finishing with three straight losses. The Packers were 9-3-1 and leading the NFC North this season when Parsons tore an ACL on Dec. 14. They didn't win another game. Star tight end Tucker Kraft, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt and center Elgton Jenkins also had season-ending injuries. The Packers entered the playoffs with 15 players on injured reserve. Had he lost his job in Green Bay, LaFleur would have become an attractive head coaching candidate because of his reputation for getting the best from his quarterbacks. Rodgers won his third and fourth MVP awards while playing for LaFleur, and Green Bay made a relatively seamless transition to Love. Malik Willis, acquired from Tennessee for a seventh-round pick, had six touchdown passes, three touchdown runs and no interceptions in two years as Love's backup. LaFleur's preference was to stay in Green Bay. "I love our players, the locker room, everybody in our organization," LaFleur said Sunday. "I mean, this is a unique place. The community has been outstanding, just I mean, I grew up in the Midwest, and it's got the same type of vibe that I grew up in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. ... Unless you're I think from here, you don't understand how friendly everybody is. No matter who you are, you're walking down the street and people say hello to one another. And I've lived other places, so I think this is a unique place, and it's a special place. My kids love it here. My family loves it here." ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL