The Green Bay Packers have their own issues with their coaching staff, but that pales in comparison to former defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. After leaving to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Hafley has had to construct an entire coaching staff, taking several of Matt LaFleur’s assistants with him to South Beach.
While Hafley can lean on his success with the Packers to help him on the defensive end, he’s had to outsource his staff on the offensive side of the ball. As a first-time head coach, Hafley has had to identify and avoid the lemons in this process. However, it appears that he has found one, as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that Hafley has hired former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo as his new passing game coordinator.
Hafley has made some controversial decisions already, such as hiring Bobby Slowik as his offensive coordinator and Nathaniel Hackett as his quarterbacks coach. But the Patullo hire may be on a different level and represent his first big mistake since taking over the Dolphins.
Kevin Patullo Is the Latest Strange Hire for Jeff Hafley in Miami
There have been strange decisions on Hafley’s offensive staff so far, but the Patullo hire has set a new standard. A former member of Nick Sirianni’s staff, he was promoted to offensive coordinator after Kellen Moore became the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Taking over a group that included Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and A.J. Brown seemed like a great career move until he completely flopped and sabotaged Philadelphia’s title defense.
After a season where Philadelphia ranked 19th in scoring offense and 24th in total offense, the Eagles demoted Patullo and hired former Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion as his replacement. Garafolo noted that the Eagles granted him permission to seek other jobs after the demotion, and he decided to join Hafley in Miami.
Maybe Patullo is better in a secondary role, as he served as the Eagles’ passing game coordinator from 2021 to 2024 before being promoted to offensive coordinator last season. But when an offense goes in the tank that much after a Super Bowl season, questions have to be asked.
It’s also a different situation than the Slowik hire. While he only lasted two seasons with the Houston Texans, he showed some competence in his first season, helping Houston rank 12th in total offense and 13th in scoring. He is also a member of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, which creates a solid foundation to work upon.
Hackett is another strange choice but has succeeded before, most notably working with an MVP-level Aaron Rodgers during his time as the Packers’ offensive coordinator.
Maybe Patullo’s downfall was caused by a group of egos that have the stability of a volcano at a middle school science fair. But it’s also alarming that Patullo never found the answers as he was being screamed at from all angles.
Perhaps heading to Miami will be the deep breath that Patullo needs to get his career on track. But for now, it feels like a big mistake that could doom Hafley’s early days with the Dolphins.
