GREEN BAY, Wis. Green Bay Packers have sacked Shawn Mennenga, co-ordinator for special teams, after two seasons in that role with the team, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Mennenga was part of Matt LaFleur, the original staff, when he was appointed before the 2019 season.
There was no immediate word on the status of defense 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 coordinators and mailbox coaches always have two years to spare, but Pettine chose to go into the final year of his contract and see how things play out.
Despite the Packers’ 13-3 regular season and spotlight in the NFC Championship Game, they struggled with special teams throughout the season.
Blocked kicks, long returns allowed and an ineffective return match overshadowed an almost perfect season by kicker Mason Crosby, one of the few highlights in special teams.
The Packers rank 29th on Rick Gosselin’s annual rankings for special teams, widely regarded as the gold standard for evaluating special teams in the league. Green Bay was 26th last season.
From 2018, Mennenga inherited the weakest unit for special teams in the league when they ranked 32nd under former coordinator Ron Zook. The Packers also finished last in the league in 2014 under then-coordinator Shawn Slocum. The club’s highest rankings in special teams between 2014 and 2020 were 16th in 2017.
Some of the Packers’ expenses on special teams this season were:
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Two-point returns allowed for touchdowns (a 91-year-old in Week 10 by the Jaguars and a 73-yard by the Eagles in Week 13)
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Darrius Shepherd, who was a flyhalf in the fourth quarter, in a draw during Week 11 against the Colts who lost the Packers in overtime
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A blocked point in Week 9 by the 49ers
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A bad point from an extra point in the division game against the Rams, which led to a scrambled situation in which the keeper JK Scott panicked and threw the ball to Crosby, who suffered a shoulder injury
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An Inconsistent Season by Scott
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst used concepts in 2018 on Scott (fifth round), the long snapper Hunter Bradley (seventh round), and none fared according to standards.
NFL Network first reported the news of Mennenga’s dismissal.