Has Matt LaFleur earned his stripes in Green Bay?

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his legendary arm have drawn the attention of nearly every NFL franchise this offseason, but no team has fought more desperately for Rodgers’ signature than the Packers themselves. 

For instance, Green Bay lured Rodgers-favorite QB coach Tom Clements out of a sun-kissed retirement in Arizona and are expected to use the franchise tag on the graying quarterback's favorite target, Davante Adams, despite sitting $50 million over the salary cap. 

In other words, if Green Bay had mountains to move, the Packers would have them gone by tomorrow if Rodgers asked. 

However, despite an off-season of explicit intent and expected big-spending, arguably the most important position in the Packers' organization has question marks around it: 48-year old head coach Matt LaFleur and his $5 million salary. 

Discussing Green Bay's immediate future Friday afternoon on "The Herd," Colin Cowherd expressed concern about the Packers’ commitment to LaFleur and emphasized the principle "you get what you pay for."

"You get what you pay for," Cowherd said. "That’s certainly the way it is with coaches. You know who was cheap? Freddie Kitchens and Jim Tomsula. You know who’s not? Sean McVay, Andy Reid, Sean Peyton." 

LaFleur assumed the head coaching position in Green Bay at just 39 years old, after stints as offensive coordinator with the Rams and Titans. With a salary of $5 million — LaFleur’s salary ranks 16th out of 32 head coaches in 2021 — and no prior head coaching experience, Cowherd asserted that Green Bay took the cheap option. 

"[LaFleur’s salary] is 50% less than the top of the league," Cowherd said. "That is less than some guys with losing records." 

LaFleur has achieved undeniable regular-season success during his three seasons in Green Bay, however, as he enjoys the highest winning percentage among active coaches with a 41-13 career record. The former quarterback coach has also distilled the best version of Aaron Rodgers, even as the gunslinger nears 40. 

Rodgers won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021, setting career highs in touchdowns and completion percentage in 2020 and posting the best two-year stretch in quarterback rating of his career. 

Cowherd, however, argues that the groundwork for LaFleur's success was laid years before and objects to adding LaFleur into the group of great young coaches.

"You've anointed Matt LaFleur — who inherited Aaron Rodgers, a good roster, stability and a crappy division — to a level that's ridiculous. People always put him in the group of great young coaches with [Kyle] Shanahan and [Sean] McVay and [Sean] McDermott. Those guys built stuff."

Cowherd substantiated his skepticism of LaFleur by highlighting his lowly 2-3 playoff record and noting that his impressive record is inflated by a 15-3 record against a subpar NFC North.

Additionally, Cowherd noted how the Titans' offense has only improved since LaFleur left his offensive coordinator position. The Titans finished 24th in offensive efficiency during LaFleur's final season in Tennessee, whereas they finished 11th and sixth the following two seasons in the same metric, respectively. 

"Regardless of what you think of Kyle Shanahan, there is absolutely inarguable proof he was an unbelievable coordinator," Cowherd said. "I'm not even sure Matt LaFleur was."