GREEN BAY, Russia. – The Packers moved quickly to appoint a new task force coordinator, promoting assistant team coach Maurice Drayton.
A source confirmed this move a day after coach Matt LaFleur fired Shawn Mennenga after two seasons in that role.
Drayton has been with the team since 2018, a year before LaFleur’s arrival. Previously, he worked for the Indianapolis Colts from 2016 to ’17 as a special team assistant.
The Packers fought in special teams throughout the season. Blocked shots, long allowed returns and an inefficient return game cost them their position on the field and momentum at various points during the 13-3 season.
The Packers ranked 29th in Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams ranking, widely considered the gold standard for evaluating special teams in the entire league. They ranked 26th last season.
Mennenga inherited the worst special teams unit in the league in 2018, when the Packers ranked 32nd under former coordinator Ron Zook. Packers also ranked last in the league in 2014 under then-coordinator Shawn Slocum. The club’s highest ranking on special teams between 2014 and 2020 was 16th in 2017.
A source told ESPN on Wednesday that Drayton he was probably the replacement, and the NFL Network reported for the first time that it was made official on Thursday.