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.
UserPostedImage
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.

UserPostedImage
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.
UserPostedImage
Fan Shout
Zero2Cool (13m) : What did you do??
Zero2Cool (14m) : Whoa
beast (21m) : OMG the website is now all white, even some white on white text
beast (1h) : Henderson, who admits to taking cocaine during the Super Bowl against the Steelers, might dislike Bradshaw as he lost two Superbowls to him
wpr (28-May) : Hollywood Henderson said Bradshaw “is so dumb, he couldn't spell 'cat' if you spotted him the C and an A.”
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : Cooper stock=BUY BUY BUY
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : Also notes he’s playing with more confidence.
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : @AndyHermanNFL MLF says there was a time last year where Cooper was at 220 pounds. Now he’s at 240 and still flying around.
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : And don't even get me started on Frank Caliendos "impersonations"
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : I got tired of them being circle jerks with them overlaughing at each others jokes.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : It used to be must watch TV for me. now it's "meh" maybe to hear injury update
Mucky Tundra (28-May) : I haven't watched the pregame shows in years and I don't feel like I've missed a thing
Zero2Cool (28-May) : Love says knee affected him all season, groin injury didn't help matters.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : I used to enjoy him on FOX Pregame. Now it's like a frat party of former Patriots.
Zero2Cool (28-May) : LaFleur on Watson: “Christian is doing outstanding. I would say he’s ahead of schedule.”
Martha Careful (28-May) : Bradshaw is a dumb ass cracker. I am so tired of his "aw shucks" diatribe. He should shrivel up and go away.
buckeyepackfan (28-May) : He wad all butt hurt because Aaron duped the media saying he was immunized.
buckeyepackfan (28-May) : Bradshaw needs to retire. He's been ripping on Rodgers ever since the covid crap. He was all hury
Zero2Cool (28-May) : Terry Bradshaw doesn't want Rodgers in Pittsburgh lol wow
Zero2Cool (27-May) : one day contract, which he also feels is pointless, but if Packers came to him, he would
packerfanoutwest (27-May) : Aaron Rodgers talks possibility of retiring with Packers, just another rumor
dfosterf (27-May) : Go watch 2001
Zero2Cool (26-May) : 1984
dfosterf (26-May) : That movie sent a chill through many. 1968.
dfosterf (26-May) : "Open the pod bay doors, HAL"
buckeyepackfan (25-May) : Haven't we all seen thus movie? It doesn't end well!! Lol
Zero2Cool (25-May) : lol Anthropic’s new AI model turns to blackmail when engineers try to take it offline
dfosterf (25-May) : Claude Opus 4
dfosterf (25-May) : AI system resorts to blackmail when its developers threaten to take it offline
beast (22-May) : Colts Owner Jim Irsay has passed away
Zero2Cool (21-May) : Well, emailing should work now. After not working for almost a year. Oops.
Zero2Cool (21-May) : Brotherly Shove did not get enough votes.
Zero2Cool (20-May) : lol our email hasn't worked in months. 7 pages of unverified users
Zero2Cool (20-May) : MySpace Screaming Lord Byron ... Brett Favre.
Zero2Cool (19-May) : Packers have signed first-round pick Matthew Golden, leaving second-round tackle Anthony Belton as their only unsigned draft pick
beast (19-May) : Supposedly he has to take his image, and name off of it... but otherwise could keep selling wine if he wanted to.
Zero2Cool (19-May) : he giving up his win business?
beast (19-May) : Speaking of Woodson, sounds like he'll be a minority owner (0.1%) of the Browns
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Zero, regarding Woodson, that'd why I find the timing with Williams peculiar
dfosterf (15-May) : Ryan Hall y'all does a great job of tracking thesr
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Fear not!! I planned to do 33mi bike ride tomorrow morning, so ... yeah
Zero2Cool (15-May) : We got some dark clouds and nasty winds right bout now.
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Madison they had hail 4pm.
dfosterf (15-May) : Sure looks like these tornadoes are headed towards Green Bay
Zero2Cool (15-May) : Woodson of Charles fame was reluctant and then loved it. that didn't really come out until post career
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : IE "We bought into the Bears and they let us down, we have no choice to seek alternatives"
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Or that Williams and his family are preparing an exit ramp if they don't like how things are going in a few years
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : Either Williams thought it would make him look good (reluctant but then embraces the city and franchise)
Mucky Tundra (15-May) : I can only assume that the Williams camp agreed to cooperate with that article tells me 2 things
dfosterf (15-May) : Ya. They are in a great mood
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
4h / Green Bay Packers Talk / Martha Careful

27-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

27-May / Random Babble / Martha Careful

24-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

24-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

23-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / greengold

23-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / earthquake

22-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

22-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / bboystyle

21-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / greengold

21-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / earthquake

20-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

19-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

19-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

16-May / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.