Packers hoping to lure former wide receivers coach Luke Getsy back to Green Bay

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers want to bring back former wide receivers coach Luke Getsy, whose outstanding work with the receivers during his time here and familiarity with quarterback Aaron Rodgers would make him a good fit.

Getsy left the Packers after the 2017 season to accept the offensive coordinator’s job with his mentor, Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead.

The Packers are hoping there’s enough mutual interest to lure Getsy back into the pro game and are expected to talk to him soon. More than likely, the Packers had to get permission from Moorhead to interview the 33-year-old Getsy.

Getsy spent four years with the Packers (2014-17), starting as an offensive assistant and working his way up to receivers coach in 2016. He immediately introduced some unusual training drills, including juggling tennis balls and footballs and catching falling bricks before they hit the ground, in an attempt to improve head-eye coordination.

In 2016, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb each had 60 or more receptions and at least 600 yards receiving. Nelson had 97 catches for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns a year after tearing his ACL.

Adams blossomed in ’16 after struggling the year before because of an ankle injury. He caught a career-high 75 passes for 997 yards and 12 touchdowns.

If Getsy takes the job, he would oversee developing the Packers’ three young wide receivers, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown and J’Mon Moore. Valdes-Scantling and St. Brown both flashed some ability last year and the Packers are counting on all three of the rookies to contribute more.

Getsy had a fairly veteran group when he was with the Packers in 2016-17, but he has experience developing younger players. He showed that in working with undrafted free agent Geronimo Allison, who was a surprise contributor his first two seasons.

As important as Getsy’s expertise coaching wide receivers, his relationship with Rodgers was good and having a familiar face in the offensive meeting room probably wouldn’t be a bad thing. Rodgers, according to a source, didn’t work closely with receivers coach David Raih and counted on veteran passing game coordinator Jim Hostler when it came to working with the receivers.

The Packers weren’t planning on retaining Raih, who wound up accepting a similar position with the Arizona Cardinals.

It’s likely Getsy and new coach Matt LaFleur will know soon whether they’ll be working together. One source said the recruiting aspect of college football had been tough for Getsy and a return to the NFL wouldn’t be a big surprise.

Getsy played under Moorhead at Akron and then coached for him. He coached in the college ranks from 2007-13 until former Packers coach Mike McCarthy offered him a offensive quality control position in 2014. Getsy held that spot for two years until he replaced then-receivers coach Edgar Bennett, who was promoted to offensive coordinator.

LaFleur has already interviewed the New York Jets‘ Karl Dorrell and Miami’s Shawn Jefferson.

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Meanwhile, PackersNews.com has learned LaFleur is expected to interview former Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack as a potential replacement for James Campen, who left to assume the associate head coach and offensive line coach roles in Cleveland. LaFleur also requested to interview San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive line coach Adam Stenavich.

Pollack and LaFleur have history together, as they were on the same staff in Houston from 2008-09 under then-Texans offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

Pollack, 51, was recently allowed to leave the Bengals after initially being kept on staff following the resignation of Marvin Lewis. In Pollack's only season in Cincinnati, running back Joe Mixon led the AFC in rushing and the Bengals were No. 8 in the NFL in rushing yards per carry (4.8).

Prior to arriving in Cincinnati, Pollack was the offensive line coach in Dallas from 2015-17. In 2015, the Cowboys finished No. 9 in rushing and No. 5 in yards per attempt. In 2016, they finished No. 2 in rushing yards and touchdowns and No. 3 in yards per attempt as Ezekiel Elliott turned in an All-Pro performance. In 2017, despite Elliott missing six games, the Cowboys finished second in rushing yards and touchdowns and No. 3 in yards per attempt again.

In other news Thursday, former Packers assistant Joe Whitt Jr. was expected to accept a job with the Cleveland Browns. with the likely title of defensive passing game coordinator/secondary.