Joe Barry left his position as defensive coordinator for the Packers after three seasons

Following a rocky third season that concluded with a loss in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs, Joe Barry has left his position as defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Packers coach Matt LaFleur stated, “We want to thank Joe for his commitment and contributions to our success the past three seasons.” “These are really tough choices, and Joe is among the best guys I have worked with in this league,” the statement reads.

With a defense that included eight former first-round draft picks, Green Bay finished the regular season ranked 10th in points allowed per game (20.6), 17th in yards allowed per game (335.1), and 23rd in yards allowed per play (5.4).

This includes a horrendous three-game stretch toward the end of the season when the Packers lost 1-2 to the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers while allowing 29.3 points per game.

Following a 34-20 loss to Tampa Bay in which Baker Mayfield recorded a perfect passer rating of 158.3, LaFleur was specifically questioned about the prospect of switching coordinators during the season during his news conference. Tommy DeVito of New York and Mayfield both won NFC Player of the Week for their efforts against the Packers.

After a day, LaFleur declared that he would keep Barry but assume a more significant position in the defense. The following week, the Packers lost to Carolina 33-30 after blowing a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Carolina would go on to win just the next two games of the season without scoring another point.

For the remainder of the season, the defense played significantly better.

In their final two games of the regular season, the Packers gave up just one touchdown, which was recovered by the Minnesota Vikings at the Green Bay 7-yard line after a mishandled punt. The Packers then defeated the Dallas Cowboys 48–32 in the wild-card round, keeping them scoreless until the very last play of the first half.

However, in a 24-21 divisional-round loss at San Francisco, the Packers gave up 25 points to the Cowboys in the second half and failed to hold onto a lead in the fourth quarter as the 49ers drove 69 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:07 left.

For a large portion of the season, injuries plagued the defense.

Jaire Alexander, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback, participated in just seven games during the regular season. Safety Darnell Savage missed seven games, cornerback Eric Stokes played in just three, while linebacker De’Vondre Campbell missed six. Rashan Gary, an outside linebacker, was recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament tear that had prematurely terminated his 2022 season, but he did not miss any games.

In 2022, the Packers tied for 17th place in scoring defense and were 17th in yards allowed per game. In 2021, Barry’s first season as the defensive coordinator for Green Bay, they tied for 13th place in scoring defense and finished ninth in total defense.

In run defense, Green Bay finished 11th in 2021 but fell to 26th in 2022 and 28th this season, even though the Packers’ difficulties stopping the run were present before Barry joined the team.

Barry served as an NFL defensive coordinator for three different periods. He had played that position with Washington in 2015–16 and Detroit in 2007–08. In 2017, Barry and LaFleur collaborated as assistants for the Los Angeles Rams.