Longtime Defensive Line Coach Jerry Montgomery Won’t Return to Packers

Whoever coaches the defensive line in 2024 will inherit a unit anchored by Kenny Clark and supplemented by some young talent.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – There will be at least one new position coach for the Green Bay Packers under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, with longtime defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery deciding to pursue other opportunities, according to The Athletic.

One of those possibilities is joining Jerod Mayo’s fledgling staff with the New England Patriots, according to PackersNews.com.

In fact, according to that story, all of Green Bay’s assistant coaches on defense are being allowed to explore their options as the team transitions on defense following three years under Joe Barry.

Montgomery was the longest-tenured of Green Bay’s assistant coaches. Not long after being named co-defensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2015, Montgomery decided to become the Packers’ assistant defensive line under defensive coordinator Dom Capers and coach Mike McCarthy. After the 2017 season, he was hired as assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Texas A&M but changed his mind and returned to Green Bay.

Montgomery survived the transition from McCarthy to Matt LaFleur at coach and Capers to Mike Pettine to Barry at defensive coordinator.

Whoever replaces Montgomery will take over a young and talented group with one glaring weakness.

This year, Kenny Clark earned his third Pro Bowl selection. He is one of the top interior defenders in the NFL, a two-way menace capable of bullying blockers in the run game and sacking the quarterback in the passing game.

The rest of this year’s unit was rounded out by third-year player TJ Slaton, second-year player Devonte Wyatt and rookies Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks.

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That young group had its moments. Slaton at times was a tremendous force against the run. Wyatt delivered a consistent interior rush and might have had 10 sacks had he not missed more tackles than any defensive tackle in the league. Of the rookies, Brooks quickly surged past Wooden and provided a steady rush, as well. Wooden provided some quality run-defending snaps.

But the run defense, now and forever, was bad. In fact, during LaFleur’s five years as coach, the Packers have allowed a league-worst 4.66 yards per carry. In 2023, the Packers finished 23rd with 4.42 yards allowed per carry. Of the 14 playoff teams, they were 10th with 4.78 yards allowed per carry in the postseason.

That’s not all on Montgomery’s defensive line, but it’s the obvious starting point, and Montgomery’s promotion to defensive run-game coordinator in 2022 did nothing to change the group’s fortunes.

“You guys probably get tired of talking to me because it’s the same-ol’, same-as and it’s not going to change,” Montgomery said at midseason. “There’s been weeks this year where all 11 have been on point and have played some really good football and played some really good run defense. And then there’s some weeks where it could be the front, it could be the backers, it could be the back end. We’re not going to point fingers; that’s not what it’s about. We’ve just got to consistently – consistently – have all 11 guys do their job. I believe in that, and we just got to be more consistent. Period and point blank.

“Me as a coach, I’ve got to be better but, each individual, we all have to do our job and that’s what it comes down to because to me it’s black-and-white. Alignment, assignment, key, technique — did you win your block? Did you fit where you’re supposed to? So, that’s how I see it. I’ve been around some good ones and I think we’re good. I think we’ve got what we need in this room to be really, really good. And we’ve shown that at times. We just have to be better consistently, and that’s real. There’s no sugar-coating it, no running around it. When we do it, it looks right.”

On Saturday, LaFleur reportedly added former NFL quarterback Sean Mannion to his staff.

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