Packers hope to bring back former WR coach Luke Getsy, per report

Bricks. Lots of bricks.

During practices in 2016 and 2017, the Green Bay Packers’ wide receivers could be spotted catching bricks on the sidelines. That is not a metaphor for bad throws from the team’s quarterbacks; it means the players were literally catching bricks during slow practice periods, in an effort to improve their grip strength.

The man behind that drill was Luke Getsy, who served as the team’s wide receivers coach in those two seasons after spending two years as a quality control assistant. Getsy left Green Bay prior to 2018, taking a job as offensive coordinator at Mississippi State University. That job offer came from new MSU head coach Joe Moorhead, who wore several hats (including coordinator and QBs coach) at Akron when Getsy was the Zips’ starting quarterback in 2005 and 2006.

However, a report on Thursday suggests that the Packers and new head coach Matt LaFleur are trying to lure Getsy back to Green Bay. Tom Silverstein of Packersnews.com has the news, saying that the Packers have “strong interest” in re-hiring Getsy, though he provides no details on what role they have in mind for him.

With Getsy as the OC, the Bulldogs had a strong season offensively in 2018, averaging nearly 400 yards per game including nearly 225 per game on the ground. Dual-threat quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was a big part of that, with over 1,100 rushing yards, while the team ended the season with three different players reaching the 500-yard mark on the ground. However, they did struggle to throw the ball, totaling just 2,259 yards through the air all year, due in part to a lack of receiving weapons.

Would Getsy accept a position on Green Bay’s staff if he were simply offered his old job as wide receivers coach? That would seem to be a step backward for him and would make little sense, particularly given his personal connection to Moorhead. However, if a title like offensive pass game coordinator were on the table, that could make the move back North more understandable. In that role, Getsy would get to work with former pupils like Davante Adams and Geronimo Allison, but he also could help LaFleur and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett work with Aaron Rodgers.

One thing appears certain: if Getsy does return, the Packers would be getting a highly respected assistant back in their building who already has good relationships with key players on the team. Now the question becomes whether he’s willing to make the move back to Green Bay after one year away.