The Green Bay Packers are 6-3-1 and right behind the Chicago Bears for the top spot in the NFC North entering Week 12.
The Packers suffered a bit of a scare when quarterback Jordan Love and running back Josh Jacobs suffered injuries in the 27-20 win over the New York Giants.
Thankfully, Love returned and finished the game, but Jacobs did not return and was labeled as day-to-day earlier in the week.
Despite the winning record and the Packers being in the playoff hunt, head coach Matt LaFleur has seen his name in hot-seat rumors.
At the same time, one Green Bay assistant is reportedly picking up steam and has emerged as a name to watch i this upcoming cycle.
Matt LaFleur’s Assistant Gaining Steam
With jobs going to open up more in the next couple of months, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero mentioned 24 young candidates to keep an eye on.
While teams have hired the veterans in years past – for example, the Las Vegas Raiders hiring Pete Carroll – Pelissero believes a lot of teams are searching for “The Next Sean McVay.”
Among the names was Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, who is 42 years old.
“An All-Big Ten offensive lineman at Michigan who bounced around for parts of five NFL seasons, Stenavich returned to pro football as the 49ers‘ assistant offensive line coach in 2017 and then the Packers as OL coach in 2019. He handles most of Green Bay’s run game and works with not only the offensive line, but the quarterbacks, too,” Pelissero wrote.
“The Green Bay offense has scuffled recently amidst a rash of injuries to key players. But Matt LaFleur considers Stenavich an invaluable asset, and he’s already on the radar. Stenavich got an interview for the Bears’ head-coaching job last year, in addition to multiple interviews for play-calling OC jobs. He’ll remain in the mix,” Pelissero added.
The NFL insider naming Stenavich as an “invaluable asset” to LaFleur shows how much the Packers coach enjoys working with him.
However, if LaFleur is let go, Stenavich could be more inclined to leave and take a job elsewhere.
Stenavich Is a Name To Watch Going Forward
Stenavich has been with Green Bay since 2019, which was the same year LaFleur became the head coach.
Stenavich began as the offensive line coach, then run game coordinator and he has now been the OC since 2022.
In 2024, Stenavich had the Packers playing well, and the offense was the fifth-best in the NFL.
Stenavich even had an interview with the Bears for their head coaching job last time out before they ultimately hired Ben Johnson. He also interviewed for the Seattle Seahawks OC job in the same month before returning to Green Bay, so he is no stranger to being a candidate.
Pelissero also mentioned several other assistants in the “coaches to watch in future years” category, including passing game coordinator (defense) Derrick Ansley and DL coach/run game coordinator DeMarcus Covington.
At this rate, Stenavich is due for a head coach job soon, and depending on what happens with LaFleur, the Packers OC could be in line for a bigger payday with another team.
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