The Green Bay Packers defense has been a pleasant surprise, especially over the last few weeks, but that doesn’t guarantee major changes aren’t around the corner.

Matt Schneidman of The Athletic authored a mailbag on Thursday, December 7, during which he addressed the possibility that Green Bay replaces defensive coordinator Joe Barry following the season — specifically with current New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

“I have asked this question out loud in recent days,” Schneidman wrote. “The Packers have the No. 9 scoring defense in the NFL. Barry has done little to lose his job this offseason. However, I’d imagine [head coach Matt] LaFleur would be enticed if his best friend and one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers before the New York Jets hired him became available.

“He has to become available for this to be a possibility, of course, and I’m not sure Saleh will lose his job because Aaron Rodgers has been hurt, despite how disappointing the Jets’ season has been.”

Packers Defense Has Risen to Challenge Against Elite QB Talent in 2023

Barry appeared to be on the hot seat for much of last season as the Packers defense struggled, particularly against the run. Those struggles have continued this year, with Green Bay giving up 200-plus yards on the ground three times. The team is also in the bottom half of the NFL at 340 yards surrendered per game, according to The Football Database.

However, Rob Demovsky of ESPN on December 6 authored a deep dive into the defensive side of the ball and found reasons for optimism within the Packers’ often-maligned unit.