Packers Rumors: 'The Heat Is on' DC Joe Barry, Job Eyed by 'Many' NFL Insiders

The Green Bay Packers may not have fired defensive coordinator Joe Barry yet, but his seat is reportedly heating up.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported the Packers' DC job is "on the radar" of several coaches who could look to replace Barry, who has come under fire as Green Bay has dropped two straight games.

The Packers rank 23rd in yards allowed and 17th in points against this season. It's been a largely middle-of-the-pack performance for a middling team that sits 6-8 overall and on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff race.

Some expected coach Matt LaFleur to fire Barry on Monday in the wake of Green Bay's 34-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which featured a 381-yard, four-touchdown outing from Baker Mayfield.

"If I thought that was the best solution today, then we'd make that decision," LaFleur told reporters. "But when you're having basic communication problems and you're supposed to be in a certain coverage or a certain rotation and we're not getting that communication, that's what's so disappointing to me is the fact that it was poor communication.

"And it always starts with us. It starts with myself, and it goes to all our assistant coaches. So obviously the coaching wasn't up to the standard and our performance on the field definitely showed that as well."

LaFleur did acknowledge he plans to take a more hands-on approach defensively ahead of Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have failed to reach 20 points in each of their last eight games, so if there is any time for Green Bay's secondary to turn things around, it will be this week.

If Carolina somehow puts points on the board, Barry might not get to wait until the end of the season for the seemingly inevitable to happen. Barry has been Green Bay's defensive coordinator since 2021.