One of the more interesting moves of the offseason for the Green Bay Packers didn’t revolve around signing or cutting a player. Instead, it revolved around the addition of a coach. Former nine-year veteran Sean Mannion was hired by Matt LaFleur and Co. to be an offensive assistant for the upcoming season. He will have the opportunity to learn from LaFleur and longtime quarterbacks coach Tom Clements.

The funny thing is that the Packers hired him away from the rival Bears. This is what LaFleur had to say about that:

“He was getting ready to go interview for Chicago. It was actually during the NFC Championship Game, which I really didn’t care to watch, I jumped on a Zoom call with him in the second half, and he showed me what he was going to present, and I told him, ‘Wow, that’s pretty good, I think you should come up to Green Bay right when you’re done with that interview.’ I’m surprised they let him out of the building. They tried to get him, but I guess we had more to offer.”

Mannion previously spent time with LaFleur in 2017 with the Los Angeles Rams. Mannion was a backup quarterback behind Jared Goff and LaFleur was the co-offensive coordinator. The former Oregon State quarterback was drafted in the third round back in 2015 by the then-St. Louis Rams. He would also go on to bounce in between the Seahawks and Vikings from 2019 to 2023.

The 31-year-old signal-caller’s knowledge of the NFC North and his experience playing in the same offensive system that LaFleur runs in Green Bay are both crucial reasons for this hire. He could also be next in line to take over the role of quarterbacks coach if Tom Clements decides to retire in the near future. This developmental hire was seemingly a brilliant move by the Packers.