**Packers Fire Special Teams Coordinator Maurice Drayton After Playoff Setback**
Following critical errors by the special teams that contributed to the Green Bay Packers’ early playoff exit, Maurice Drayton has been dismissed. Head coach Matt LaFleur decided to let Drayton go after their loss to the San Francisco 49ers, as reported by Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
The Packers, who were the NFC’s top seed, were defeated by the 49ers in the divisional round. The game was marked by several special teams failures, including a blocked Mason Crosby field goal attempt and a blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown for the 49ers. Additionally, Deebo Samuel’s 45-yard kickoff return set up the 49ers’ first field goal in their 13-10 victory, which they achieved without scoring an offensive touchdown.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed frustration after the game, stating that the team simply wanted their special teams to perform adequately. Rodgers highlighted the critical nature of the special teams’ mistakes.
Drayton, who had been the assistant special teams coach for three years before being promoted to coordinator in 2021, saw his unit struggle throughout the season. The Packers ranked poorly in several special teams metrics, including being last in the NFL for average drive start after kickoff, 30th in kickoff return average, 26th in opponent average drive start after kickoff, and 31st in field-goal percentage.
The Packers also announced several coaching staff promotions, including Jason Vrable to wide receivers/passing game coordinator, Connor Lewis to assistant quarterbacks coach, Luke Butkus to offensive line coach, and Ryan Mahaffey to assistant offensive line coach. However, Drayton’s departure was not mentioned in the official news release.
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