The Green Bay Packers have made the decision to alter their defense, even in the midst of a late-season comeback. According to lead NFL analyst Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Packers fired defensive coordinator Joe Barry on Wednesday.

According to Jones, other defensive linemen for the Packers may be prohibited from moving laterally to another team, but they are free to hunt for other employment.

“We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in a statement. “These decisions are extremely difficult and Joe is one of the best men I’ve had the opportunity to work with in this league.”

Barry was the Packers’ defensive coordinator for three seasons. The Packers shared the No. 10 scoring defense ranking in points allowed per game (20.6) and the No. 17 defensive ranking in yards allowed per game (335.1). It was during the regular season when Green Bay made a noticeable turnaround. For the first fourteen games, the Packers’ opponent running yards per game (141.8) ranking was No. 31; however, from Weeks fifteen through eighteen, that ranking dropped to No. 4 (84.3). The Packers gave up the fewest yards (201.5) and points (9.5) per game in the NFL during Weeks 17–18.

Two mistakes inflicted by the Packers defense cost the Dallas Cowboys their first home loss of the season, and they took that momentum into the postseason. The San Francisco 49ers’ victory over the Packers this past weekend put an end to the Packers’ 2023 season.

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LaFleur stated in November that he “absolutely not” intended to fire Barry in the middle of the season. It seems he was hoping to hold off until after the season.

Who could take Barry’s place and benefit from this alluring position with rising talent? Let’s examine this.

Martindale, who left the New York Giants after two seasons, is a popular contender to take over as defensive coordinator. This season, his Giants tied Martindale’s former team, the Baltimore Ravens, for the league lead in both forced turnovers (31), and turnover differential (+12).

In addition to having extensive experience as a defensive coordinator, Martindale gained recognition for his work as an NFL linebacker coach. With players like Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Quay Walker, and De’Vondre Campbell, just think of what he could accomplish.

Take him back to his house! After serving as the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach for the previous four seasons, the storied cornerback for the Packers is currently a coach in the NFL. He aided in Trevon Diggs’ development into one of the league’s most formidable defensive backs, and in 2023, DaRon Bland set the NFL record for interceptions with nine. After interning with the Miami Dolphins, Harris, a two-time Pro Bowler and already inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, started his coaching career.

Regarded as one of the NFL’s brightest defensive minds of the future, Evero joined the Denver Broncos in 2022 and the Carolina Panthers in 2023 as their defensive coordinator after working in the secondary for the Los Angeles Rams. Remember that in 2016, Evero was a defensive quality control coach for the Packers.

Despite a lot of injuries, the Panthers defense placed fourth in the NFL at the end of the regular season. A head coaching position is the only reason Evero could sign with the Packers. The Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks are all interviewing him.

This cycle, Frazier is another applicant applying for head coaching positions; however, he did not coach in 2023. Prior to that, Frazier was the Minnesota Vikings’ head coach from 2011 to 2013 and the Buffalo Bills’ assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for six years. Frazier conversed with the Packers for two days during the previous offseason, so he might be a possibility for LaFleur to consider as the “head coach” of the defense.