Green Bay Packers CEO/President Ed Policy (WLUK image)
Incoming Green Bay Packers president and CEO Ed Policy won’t be offering contract extensions to head coach Matt LaFleur or general manager Brian Gutekunst this offseason. But he did make one thing clear: he doesn’t believe it’s ideal for an NFL coach or GM to head into the final year of their contract without a new deal in place.
That puts more focus on the 2025 season. Both LaFleur and Gutekunst signed contract extensions in 2022, and each has two years remaining on their current deals. Russ Ball, the team’s executive vice president and director of football operations, is also under contract and will continue to report to the president — a structure set up by outgoing president Mark Murphy in 2018.
“All three of them are under multi-year contracts.” Policy said. “None of them are up at the end of this year. We won’t be doing anything going into this season.”
A Smooth Transition of Power
Policy officially takes over for Murphy, who turns 70 on July 13, at the Packers’ shareholders meeting on July 25. Team bylaws require the team president to retire at age 70. Policy has been part of the organization since 2012 and most recently worked as chief operating officer. He also helped interview both Gutekunst and LaFleur when the team hired them.
He referenced his general belief that long-term clarity is important for leadership roles.
“I’m generally opposed — I’d never say never — but I’m generally opposed to a coach or GM going into the last year of their contract,” Policy said. “That creates a lot of issues. I think normally you have a pretty good idea of where that relationship is going when you have two years left — not always, but normally.”
No Immediate Changes to Front Office Structure
Before 2018, the Packers followed a structure where the general manager had full control of football decisions, including hiring and managing the head coach. That changed when Murphy decided to have LaFleur, Gutekunst, and Ball all report directly to the team president.
Policy says he plans to keep that structure for now but remains open to change if needed.
“We’ll do whatever it takes to win football games,” he said. “If that means changing the structure, then we’ll change the structure. Just like Mark was not wedded to the structure that he inherited when he came in, I would say I’m not wedded to the structure. We’ll do whatever is best for the Packers.”
Focus on Communication and Accountability
To make sure things run smoothly, Policy said he plans to increase formal meetings with the team’s football leadership. That’s partly to avoid communication problems that the team experienced in the past — one of the reasons Murphy originally changed the reporting system.
Policy explained his role in clear terms: choose the right people, give them what they need, and then hold them accountable.
“I see the president’s role as it relates to football operations as really selecting football leadership, guiding them and giving them all the resources they need — and supporting them, evaluating them, and then ultimately holding them accountable,” he said. “Really, I think it’s important to let them do their jobs. These are exceptional people — all three of them. I’ve got great relationships with them.
“I’d stay out of their business. I would not meddle in what they do. I would communicate very frequently and openly and directly with them on all things, but certainly no team needs two head coaches or two GMs. Not a lot of change in the way Mark had done that.”
Track Record of Success
Since taking over as GM in 2018, Gutekunst has led the Packers to a 73-42-1 record — the fourth-best in the NFL during that time. LaFleur, hired in 2019, has a 67-33 record and five playoff appearances. That includes two trips to the NFC Championship Game with Aaron Rodgers under center.
In the past two seasons, the Packers made the playoffs with Jordan Love at quarterback, but have only one postseason win to show for it. After last year, Gutekunst stressed that it’s time for the team to “ramp up our sense of urgency” and start competing for championships.
The Only Publicly Owned Team in the NFL
The Packers are unique in the league. They’re the only publicly owned team, with 538,967 shareholders who together own more than 5.2 million shares. No single person is allowed to own more than 200,000 shares — a rule that prevents any one person from taking control.
Policy, 54, is the son of longtime NFL executive Carmen Policy, who ran the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns. In Green Bay, Ed Policy will lead a seven-member executive committee, which is selected from the team’s 43-person board of directors.
Policy’s Three Priorities as President
When asked about his goals, Policy laid out a clear vision for his time in charge — and said every decision will reflect these values.
His top priorities: winning games, keeping the Packers in Green Bay, and supporting the local community.
“Win football games, number one; keep the Packers in Green Bay, number two; and to strengthen our community, number three,” he said. “I’d say I even apply them in that order of priority. And so, really, every decision that we make here — to do something or not to do something — will be based on furthering one or more of those purposes.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
