Matt LaFleur has nothing but appreciation for his former quarterback.
The Packers coach was admittedly “speechless” Tuesday upon learning Aaron Rodgers had sung his praises to the media amid recent speculation about his job security following a disappointing finish to the season.
Rodgers, who played the first 18 years of his prolific career in Green Bay — four of which were under LaFleur — scoffed at the mounting buzz to move on from the Packers’ coach, noting how he’s “done a lot of great things in Green Bay and we had a lot of success.”
“I’m speechless,” LaFleur told The Athletic’s Michael Silver via text. “He didn’t have to do that, but he did. (It’s) one of the nicest compliments (of) my life. I’m so appreciative of him for that.”
LaFleur and Rodgers made three straight playoff runs during their time together, which included NFC Championship appearances at the conclusion of the 2019 and ’20 seasons.
The Packers failed to crack the postseason in Rodgers’ final year with the team in 2022, when Green Bay finished at 8-9.
Tension had long simmered underneath the surface, with the Packers looking to their future by drafting quarterback Jordan Love in 2020, as trade rumors around Rodgers swirled a year later.
Rodgers then made it publicly clear in March 2023 that he wanted out of Green Bay, with the franchise granting his wish a month later by orchestrating a blockbuster trade to the Jets.
The Jets experiment lasted two years, with Rodgers suffering an Achilles injury in Week 1 of the 2023 season. He linked up with the Steelers on a one-year deal last June.
The Steelers finished the 2025 season at 10-7 and claimed the AFC North title. Although the team fell short in the playoffs once again, Rodgers — who could potentially call it a career — pushed back at those calling for coach Mike Tomlin’s job, as well as LaFleur’s.
“You know, when you hear conversation about the Mike Tomlins of the world, Matt LaFleurs of the world. Those are just two that I played for. And when I first got in the league, there wouldn’t be conversations about whether those guys were on the hot seat, but the way that the league is covered now and the way that there’s snap decisions and the validity given to the Twitter experts and all the experts on TV now who you make it seem like they know what the hell they’re talking about, to me that’s an absolute joke,” Rodgers said after the Steelers’ wild-card loss to the Texans on Monday.
Monday’s game marked Tomlin’s final contest as Steelers head coach. He resigned Tuesday after 19 years at the helm.
Meanwhile, the Packers appear poised to extend LaFleur, whose team collapsed Saturday in a wild-card playoff loss to the Bears.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
