Packers fans’ confidence rebounded after Matt LaFleur hire and free agent additions

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2018 was a rough season for Green Bay Packers fans. Between Aaron Rodgers’ injury, the defense’s struggles, some close but disappointing losses in the middle of the season, and Mike McCarthy’s firing with a month to go, it was quite the eventful year.

All of those events were signs that the team needed to make changes of some kind over the offseason, and those changes came early and often. With Packers fans’ confidence sitting at a brutal level at the conclusion of the 2018 campaign, general manager Brian Gutekunst’s moves since then have brought the fan base back on board the optimism train.

First up was Matt LaFleur’s hiring as the new head coach, followed by a stunning haul in free agency. Three defensive starters and a versatile starting-caliber offensive lineman suddenly brought some much-needed juice to the roster, while the team shed some under-performing players and allowed several expiring contracts to walk.

Those moves saw fan confidence, as measured in SB Nation’s FanPulse surveys of Packers fans, take a massive jump upward from the result as the 2018 season concluded. Indeed, the rate of responses expressing confidence in the direction of the team leaped from just 28 percent after week 17’s loss to the Lions all the way up to 68 percent following free agency.

In the weeks since, the confidence level has stayed steady, carrying through the 2019 NFL Draft with a slight uptick. The number dipped ever-so-slightly to 66 percent just before the draft, but gained back the difference and then some with an increase to 70 percent following the draft.

Interestingly, Packers fan confidence is tied for last among NFC North fan bases right now, matching the Vikings at 70%. The Bears lead the way at a full 100% confidence rate (only the Browns match that across the rest of the NFL) while the Lions come in behind Chicago at 75%.

Let’s get some more data around Packers fan confidence — let us know how you feel about the team’s general direction in the poll below and in the comments.