GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – The Green Bay Packers have dismissed special team coordinator Shawn Mennenga after two seasons in that role with the team, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Mennenga was part of coach Matt LaFleur’s original team when he was hired before the 2019 season.
There was no immediate word on the status of defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, whose contract expired after this season. Pettine met with LaFleur on Wednesday to discuss his status.
Pettine chose not to sign an extension after last season, sources said. Most Packers position coordinators and coaches always have two years in their business, but Pettine chose to go to the last year of his contract and see how things went.
Despite the Packers’ regular 13-3 season and the NFC Championship Game spot, they fought on special teams throughout the season.
Blocked kicks, allowed long returns and an ineffective return game overshadowed an almost perfect season for kicker Mason Crosby, one of the few bright spots on special teams.
Packers ranked 29th in Rick Gosselin’s annual special team ranking, widely considered the gold standard for evaluating special teams across the league. Green Bay was 26th last season.
Mennenga inherited the worst unit of special teams in the league of 2018, when the Packers came in 32nd place under the command of former coordinator Ron Zook. The Packers also came in last in the league in 2014, under the command of then coordinator Shawn Slocum. The club’s highest ranking in special teams between 2014 and 2020 was 16th in 2017.
Packers’ questions about special teams this season include:
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Two punt returns allowed for touchdowns (one 91 yards for Week 10 by Jaguars and one 73 yards for Eagles on Week 13)
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Darrius Shepherd had his initial comeback hindered in the fourth quarter in what was a tie during Week 11 against the Colts, which the Packers lost in overtime
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A punt blocked at Week 9 by the 49ers
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A bad snap at an extra point in the division’s playoff game against the Rams that led to a situation of confusion in which titleholder JK Scott panicked and threw the ball to Crosby, who suffered a shoulder injury
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An inconsistent season of punting by Scott
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst used draft choices in 2018 for Scott (fifth round) and long-snapper Hunter Bradley (seventh round), and none of them performed to standards.
The NFL Network first reported the news about Mennenga’s resignation.