There have been plenty of questions about the future of the Packers’ decision-making roles, considering the growing interest in director of football operations Eliot Wolf.
But the fact the Packers let Wolf and director of player personnel Brian Gutekunst interview for the 49ers vacant General Manager job at least shows a departure from previous years.
According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, some feelings were hurt when Packers G.M. Ted Thompson refused the Lions permission to interview Wolf last year because the Packers were still in the playoffs.
“Friends of Wolf” said the 34-year-old was disappointed at not getting a chance at the job which eventually went to Bob Quinn, and that his father, former Packers G.M. Ron Wolf “wasn’t pleased at all.”
That’s created a delicate balance for the Packers, who have to decide how long to hang onto Thompson at the risk of losing a possible successor.
Thompson turns 64 next week, and his contract runs through the 2018 NFL Draft. There’s also the possibility they could turn to director of football administration Russ Ball, 57, to bridge the gap between their young scouts and a job that entails so much more than evaluating and picking players.
Either way, the fact they let Wolf interview this time (and the fact it’s with a non-division rival likely matters a great deal) is a sign that things could be changing in Green Bay, which has known tremendous stability and success under Thompson.