Green Bay, Wisconsin Even though his defense held up well enough to help Green Bay advance to the NFC divisional round of the playoffs, Joe Barry has been fired as the defensive coordinator for the Packers.
The Packers made the announcement on Wednesday, two days after coach Matt LaFleur stated he was “going to go through the process at my own pace” and declined to comment on Barry’s employment situation.
In a statement issued by the team, LaFleur said, “We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons.” “These decisions are extremely difficult and Joe is one of the best men I’ve had the opportunity to work with in this league.”
There is talk that Barry might stay with the Packers in some capacity, people close to the situation told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
When LaFleur selects someone to replace Barry, who had one year remaining on his deal, he will be the third defensive coordinator in six seasons. Barry took over as the defensive coordinator for the Packers in 2021 after Mike Pettine was fired.
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As early as the 2022 season, when the Packers fell from eighth overall in total defense to 17th, Barry seemed to be on thin ice. This season, the Packers ranked 17th in overall defense as well, but they advanced into the top 10 in terms of fewest points allowed.
But under Barry, one of Green Bay’s main problems was run defense. The Packers finished 11th in 2021 and were ranked 28th against the run in 2023, down from 26th in 2022. In 2023, they gave up more than 200 yards of rush yardage to four different teams.
The Week 15 home defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which Baker Mayfield recorded a 381-yard, four-touchdown effort in a 34-20 triumph at Lambeau Field, may have been the breaking point for Barry.
Although the Packers’ record went to 6-8 and they were one game out of a tie for the final playoff slot after that defeat, LaFleur declared at the time that he would not be changing his defensive coaching during the season.
The Packers’ Week 16 triumph over the lowly Carolina Panthers, who scored a season-high 30 points and amassed 394 yards of total offense, was followed by another defensive blunder.
Late in the season, though, Barry seemed to have the defense clicking. LaFleur praised the defense even after the San Francisco 49ers defeated them 24–21 in the playoffs, calling it “fantastic.” LaFleur, though, was less firm in the days following the season, stating that the Packers will “kind of go through and figure out how we can be a little bit more consistent.”
Jim Leonhard, a former defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, was reportedly the top pick but decided not to leave his alma institution before hiring Barry. In 2017, Barry and LaFleur collaborated with the Los Angeles Rams. It happened when Barry was a member of the Rams’ coaching staff, specifically under Brandon Staley, who implemented a Vic Fangio-style defense. LaFleur intended to run a similar operation in Green Bay, which is why he hired Barry.
