Ways that Matt LaFleur lured Sean Mannion to Green Bay: Another victory over the Bears
Sean Mannion almost went to the dark side and defeated the Packers before he became a member of the coaching staff.Matt LaFleur going 11-0 against the Chicago Bears is something to think about.
Once again, they were taken aback by the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, who is unbeaten against the team’s fiercest opponent.
This time, though, it wasn’t in between the hash marks. Sean Mannion was on the verge of accepting the same position on the Bears coaching staff prior to being signed by the Packers earlier this month as an offensive assistant.
After announcing his retirement, former NFL quarterback Mannion spoke with LaFleur via a Zoom call that took place in this year’s NFC Championship Game’s second half.
LaFleur was becoming fascinated with the pitch Mannion was going to make to the Bears while the 49ers and Lions clashed at Levi’s Stadium.
So much so that the moment Mannion concluded his interview with the Bears, LaFleur demanded that he come back to Green Bay for another interview.
On Thursday, LaFleur said, “I’m amazed they let him out of the building.” “However, they made an attempt to capture him. We probably had more to give.
Mannion was involved in both affairs. With the recently acquired offensive coordinator by the Bears, Shane Waldron, he has a great deal of experience.
They played two seasons together with the Los Angeles Rams (2017–2018); LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for the team throughout that time.
Mannion later switched teams, spending three seasons on Seattle’s practice squad between 2021 and 2023, while Waldron went on to become the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks for three seasons.
Mannion alternated between the Minnesota Vikings and other teams. In the Packers’ 2021 regular-season home finale, he even started in Kirk Cousins’ place. The game ended in a 37-10 thrashing, which earned the Packers the NFC’s top seed. 22 of the 36 passes Mannion attempted were completed for 189 yards and a touchdown.
There’s hardly much to ponder regarding Mannion’s decision to choose Green Bay over Chicago. The Bears are anticipated to trade Justin Fields at some point this off-season in favor of USC’s Caleb Williams, who is sure to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft.
Meanwhile, the Packers have a young superstar under center in Caleb Williams. It’s hardly shocking that Mannion chose the tried-and-true over the unknown.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Packers have defeated the Bears 25 times out of the last 28 meetings; of those three losses, Aaron Rodgers had to leave the game in the first quarter due to a fractured collarbone.
For the next season, the Packers will have Tom Clements back as their quarterback coach, which could be the final act for the soon-to-be 71-year-old who developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game.
Clements was a key member of Mike McCarthy’s coaching staff and contributed significantly to Aaron Rodgers’ growth. In 2022, after a few years apart, LaFleur brought Clements back on board to team up with Rodgers for what would prove to be Rodgers’ last season in Green Bay.
Following Rodgers’ trade to the New York Jets during the off-season, Jordan Love—a 2020 first-round pick—was given control of the team. Like his predecessor, Love’s development is now dependent on Clements.
Over the past two years, Love’s progress has been incredibly noticeable, from his footwork to his passing technique.
After all of the commotion surrounding his poor completion percentage early in the season, his first season as the starting quarterback for the Packers saw him complete just over 64 percent of his throws for 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while throwing for 4,159 yards. In addition, Love scored four more touchdowns on his own.
Following a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on November 19 and a decisive victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the wild card round, Love completed almost 71 percent of his throws for 21 touchdowns and just one interception.
The Packers are widely known for selecting and nurturing their own players, and it appears that their coaching staff shares this same mindset. It is hoped that Mannion will be able to take over as the quarterbacks coach for the Packers when Clements is ready to ride off into the sunset.
“We’re fortunate to have him,” LaFleur remarked. “I have a strong feeling that this guy will succeed both for us and as a coach.”
