Matt LaFleur addresses Aaron Rodgers future with Packers

The Green Bay Packers find themselves in the exact same position as their rivals from the South, the Dallas Cowboys. Similar to Dallas, the Packers fell at home to the no. 7 seed in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers 13-10. And like the Cowboys, this loss leaves Green Bay searching for answers rather than preparing for the next round.

One of the biggest questions Green Bay will have to answer is whether or not reigning MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return to the team for next season. Before the season started, there was discontent with Rodgers and the front office, but the two sides were able to reconcile their differences, at least for this year. The 38-year-old vet has not removed any options off the table, including retiring. In the postgame press conference, Packers head coach, Matt LaFleur, did his best to answer questions about his quarterback’s future.

“I don’t know. Certainly, we want him back here. We’d be crazy to not want him back here. This guy does so much for our football team,” said LaFleur.

Unfortunately for fans of Green Bay, the answer to this question is not an easy one, and it does not appear to be available anytime soon.

Matt LaFleur takes ownership of special teams mistake

“That can’t happen,” stated LaFleur when asked about the Packers only having ten men on the field for the final play. “It’s unacceptable. And, again, that’s on me.”

The Packers’ special teams unit was the subject of criticism for most of the regular season and their issues became much more apparent as their playoff run ended after just one game. The Packers’ defense held San Francisco to just three points for the game until the final field goal. Despite their efforts, San Francisco managed one touchdown in the fourth quarter to tie the game on a blocked Green Bay punt.

The blocked punt was the second blocked kick of the game after a Packers’ field goal was blocked to end the first half.

“The NFL’s worst special teams unit turned in one of the worst special teams performances in NFL playoff history,” criticized NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero after the game.

The Packers’ current special teams coach, Maurice Drayton, will be the likely target for much of the criticism after their season’s end. As the Packers suddenly shift to preparing for their next season, it will be worth watching if they believe it’s time to rebuild or restructure anything.