GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have their first major injury off the offseason program: coach Matt LaFleur.
The 39-year-old first-year head coach, who has shown an hand-on approach in practice, tore his Achilles’ tendon, according to a source. The injury did not happen on the practice field, but rather during an activity/workout at the stadium, according to the source.
LaFleur will have surgery on Sunday. A source said team physician Dr. Pat McKenzie advised him to have to it repaired as soon as possible.
Just this week, LaFleur was seen in an OTA practice lining up at safety during a drill. Earlier this offseason, LaFleur, who played quarterback at Saginaw Valley State, actually grabbed the ball and threw some passes during rookie minicamp.
Afterward, he joked that he “threw some good balls out there, man.”
The second-youngest coach in Packers’ history, LaFleur has an active approach in practice.
“I would say Matt is definitely hands-on,” Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said this week. “The whole key is, especially now in the role that he’s in, he’s still got to be him. That’s why he’s here. That’s why we’re all here. We have to be who we are. I think everybody has their role they want to fill and who they think that they are.
“That’s why you love Matt. Matt is the same guy I met about five, six years ago. He hasn’t changed a bit besides now he’s the head coach of the Packers. Every guy is different. Every head coach I’ve worked with and all the different guys I’ve been around have had their niche and how they want to do it.”
It’s unclear when LaFleur will have surgery, but the Packers have two more weeks left in the offseason program. The final OTAs are next week followed by the mandatory minicamp June 11-13. The players are then off until training camp reporting day on July 24. The first practice is July 25.