A day after Adam Schefter said that Matt LaFleur's situation in Green Bay was up in the air, his latest report indicates that may no longer be the case. It won't make many Miami Dolphins fans happy.
Schefter reported on the Pat McAfee Show that LaFleur and the Packers are working toward a new contract extension and that the feeling is he will return to Green Bay in 2026.
"The Packers and Matt LaFleur have been working on an extension..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 15, 2026
The belief on both sides right now is that they're gonna figure it out and he's gonna be back in Green Bay..
If for whatever reason they don't there will be a big market for him" ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nHs04TPO3h
Miami Dolphins continue to interview head coaching candidates, but the best options are thinning quickly
Schefter's report has changed considerably since Wednesday, but that is often the case in the NFL. The Packers want to retain LaFleur, and the coach doesn't want to leave either. It's a mutual conversation. At the center of it, however, is the contract numbers.
LaFleur has one year left on his contract, and there have been reports that the Packers don't want to overpay him on an extension. John Harbaugh is expected to receive a 5-year deal worth close to $100 million that will make him one of the highest-paid head coaches in NFL history. LaFleur won't get near that number, but will likely want between $12 and $15 million per year.
If the Packers balk at the number, Schefter says they could still part ways. He believes that if LaFleur hits the open HC market, he will be the immediate in-demand coach now that Harbaugh is off the board.
For the Dolphins, it's a situation worth paying attention to. Ross has the money to hand LaFleur, the coach would join a familiar face in the GM position, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and would have ownership with a large checkbook.
The problem is that Miami has no control over what happens in Green Bay. Right now, they have to be diligent. If they make a move too soon while this is still playing out, they could lose an opportunity at one of the better coaching options. If they don't make a hire soon, they could lose out on other coaches they have at the top of their list.
One question that both the media and fans are starting to ask is whether or not moving on from Mike McDaniel was the right move. It seemed as though firing the coach came with a reason. Either Ross was confident about adding Harbaugh, or another HC was on their radar who may not have shaken off the limb.
Not to say they needed to keep McDaniel. Fans will almost universally say he should have been fired along with Grier before last season. But time is running out to land an obvious upgrade over what they had in him.