Martha Careful
3 months ago

Packers set to hire former Patriots defensive coordinator

Matt LaFleur and Jeff Hafley bring in DeMarcus Covington as their defensive line coach.

By Jaren KawadaJan 30, 2025 at 1:08 PM ET

The Green Bay Packers are determined to make changes entering the 2025 offseason. Just weeks after the New England Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, Matt LaFleur scooped up the team's former defensive coordinator, DeMarcus Covington, in the aftermath.

LaFleur will hire Covington as the Packers' defensive line coach, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. The two sides have verbally agreed to the deal, but as of Thursday morning, no contract has been signed.

After seven years in various roles with the Patriots, Covington was promoted to defensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 season. In his lone year in the position, New England took a step back defensively, ranking in the bottom half in points and total yards allowed.

Covington joined the Patriots in 2017 after spending the previous season as the co-defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois. He began his tenure as a defensive assistant for two years before serving as the outside linebackers coach in 2019. He shifted to defensive line coach in 2020, where he would remain through the 2023 season.

Following Jerod Mayo's firing at the end of the 2024 season, Vrabel opted not to retain Covington on his staff. This made him temporarily available before LaFleur hired him to work on Jeff Hafley's defensive personnel.

Demovsky also noted that LaFleur will promote former offensive assistant Sean Mannion to quarterbacks coach. Mannion, a decade-long backup quarterback in the NFL, retired from professional football in 2024 and transitioned to coaching.

Once hired, Covington will replace Jason Rebrovich as the Packers' defensive line coach. Rebrovich held the job for one season and was fired after Green Bay's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card round.

In Rebrovich's lone season as the defensive line coach, the Packers recorded 45 sacks, 10th in the league. They also limited opponents to just 4.0 yards per carry, the third-best in the NFL. However, they ended the year on a sour note, as Eagles running back Saquon Barkley torched them with 119 rushing yards in the Wild Card game.

So far, Rebrovich is the only major assistant coach to leave the team in the 2025 offseason, although they were unable to retain former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh in a full-time role. Saleh spent most of 2024 as an offensive consultant with Green Bay after his surprising firing. He was re-hired by Kyle Shanahan on Jan. 24 to return as the San Francisco 49ers' defensive coordinator.

However, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile recently interviewed for the Jacksonville Jaguars' vacant defensive coordinator role and is reportedly a preferred candidate. His potential departure would create another significant opening in Hafley's defensive staff.


Seems like a good hire to me.
Go Packers!!!!
dfosterf
3 months ago
Promoted beyond his apparent capabilities in the first place. It is a we shall see thing for the Pack. A reduced responsibility and concentration should be good, but it has been tried so many times that I have kinda lost faith in this plan. I want coaches from teams better than ours.
bboystyle
3 months ago
Dont like this hire. He has done nothing notable for me to be excited about. We should of plucked coordinators or assistants from actual teams with good defenses and pass rush. Hope he proves me wrong.
Zero2Cool
3 months ago
Nice to see as DL Coach his units performed 11th or better. Now he's got talent to work with. It'll be good.
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Martha Careful
3 months ago

Dont like this hire. He has done nothing notable for me to be excited about. We should of plucked coordinators or assistants from actual teams with good defenses and pass rush. Hope he proves me wrong.

Originally Posted by: bboystyle 

I am not sure why a former DC would and to come here other than he sees the potential in our guys....which is a good thing. I hope he uses the opportunity to greatly improve their performance which, in turn, would enhance his career

Promoted beyond his apparent capabilities in the first place. It is a we shall see thing for the Pack. A reduced responsibility and concentration should be good, but it has been tried so many times that I have kinda lost faith in this plan. I want coaches from teams better than ours.

Originally Posted by: dfosterf 

The problem is, you are not going to get guys from teams better than ours other than for a promotion (other than big money) and the DC roll is not available, thankfully.
Go Packers!!!!
beast
3 months ago

Promoted beyond his apparent capabilities in the first place.

Originally Posted by: dfosterf 



The Patriots offense failed the team and got the head coaches fired after one year... I'm not sure how that reflects so negatively on the defensive coaches.

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beast
3 months ago
I'd be interested in hearing what connection (if any) got the Packers to sign or like DeMarcus Covington, as I'm not seeing a clear and obvious one.

My best guess is Boston College coaches maybe interact with the New Patriots coaches some. Hafley did talk about being in touch and talking with pro coaches while in college.

But I was guessing it was good to be Eric Washington, long term coach for the Panthers and Bills, and one year defensive coordinator for the Bears. Seemed to do pretty well at DL coach.

We'll have to wait and see how Covington does. And if Van Ness and others can step it up and help Gary more than they have been, the DTs too.
UserPostedImage
dfosterf
3 months ago

The Patriots offense failed the team and got the head coaches fired after one year... I'm not sure how that reflects so negatively on the defensive coaches.

Originally Posted by: beast 


I believe the "book" on the Patriots has been good defense, but crap offense. The good defense reputation pretty much fell off the table in 2024. They went from the 7th rated defense in the NFL in 2023 to the 22nd rated defense in 2024. That kind of serious regression can get you fired on it's own merit, or lack thereof. Ultimately, I don't know the guy, so I'll defer to any and all optimism. Call it generalized bitching on my part.
Martha Careful
3 months ago

I believe the "book" on the Patriots has been good defense, but crap offense. The good defense reputation pretty much fell off the table in 2024. They went from the 7th rated defense in the NFL in 2023 to the 22nd rated defense in 2024. That kind of serious regression can get you fired on it's own merit, or lack thereof. Ultimately, I don't know the guy, so I'll defer to any and all optimism. Call it generalized bitching on my part.

Originally Posted by: dfosterf 

Scepticismus est bonus nisi ad extremum.

Your skepticism is valid, but 'don't worry - be happy'

Sometimes these "overall" statistics and rankings can be deceiving. I am reminded of the Bare's defenses of yore (not including the 80's.) Their defenses ranked very high, but they had bad win loss records. The reason, their offense stunk, therefore opposing offenses knew that if they scored 14 to 17 points, they would win. So they took fewer risks and the defenses looked better than they actually were.

Now, the rules favor the offenses and overall scoring is up, so statistically, a bad offense will reflect more on the defense than in the old days...i.e. more possessions, with more advantageous rules, should equal more points and lower defensive rankings.

Go Packers!!!!
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
3 months ago
The DL was disappointing. Hopefully the new coach is able to get them going.
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Zero2Cool (29-Apr) : LB Isaiah Simmons. Signed. Called it!!! Oh yeah!
Martha Careful (29-Apr) : ty bboystyle...fat fingers
bboystyle (29-Apr) : Tom*
Martha Careful (28-Apr) : RIP Packer Safety Tim Brown
beast (27-Apr) : Yeah, but also some of the wording suggestions Jax only pranked called the QB, not the others... and if he had an open spreadsheet & 3 calls
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Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : Cowboys 1st round pick Tyler Booker will indeed be bringing his pet turtle to Dallas with him
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : that contained all prospects info and contact
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : beast, according the Falcons statement Jax came across it on an ipad. If I had to guess, probably an open spread sheet or something
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : Simmons put up an emoji with cheese.
beast (27-Apr) : Not sure anyone is interested in Isaiah Simmons... Collin Oliver might of taken his potential slot
beast (27-Apr) : I'm going with Jax Ulbrich is not telling the whole truth... he accidentally came across it? Why would a defensive coordinator have a QB #?
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : He's not that great, but final piece of the script.\
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : If we add Isaiah Simmons, book your Super Bowl tickets
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : Colts 1st round TE Tyler Warren also got prank called, was that Jax Ulbrich as well?
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : Jax Ulbrich, Jeff Ulbrich’s son, released an apology for his role in the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
Martha Careful (27-Apr) : apparently he did not participate in practice or play on the east west shrine game nor the NFL combine. The kid was a mediocre spoiled brat
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : Yeah that one that was a super wounded duck that Sanders supporters are highlighting to prove a point
Zero2Cool (27-Apr) : Shough is the guy who missed guys at combine isn't he?
beast (27-Apr) : It's not official until I'm dead! I have a chance still! (Not really)
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : I could feel my body decomposing in real time when I read that
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : @MIKEYSAINRISTIL Tyler Shough will officially be the last person drafted to the NFL born in the 1900’s
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : saw the tweet, he meant the city
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : Was that for the team or the city?
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m Draft grade is in: Green Bay gets an A. The people, the city, the venue were all superb. NFL Draft’s next
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matt LaFleur says Jaire Alexander is participating in #Packers offseason program, which has been conducted virtually during this first week
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : ✅ ...
buckeyepackfan (26-Apr) : Check
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TheKanataThrilla (26-Apr) : Sam Howell to Vikings...guess no Aaron
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : 1 round 7 min, with one extra minute if there is a trade. 2nd round 4 minutes, 3rd -3, 2 thereafter IMO
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Agree
dfosterf (26-Apr) : Great idea imo
dfosterf (26-Apr) : 1st round to 7 minutes with one extension
dfosterf (26-Apr) : NFL comissioner wants to shorten the 2st
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