Jason Wilde: Joe Barry Changed the Packers — And Why They Finally Had to Pay for Coaching

ESPN Packers reporter Jason Wilde joins Jen, Gabe & Chewy to explain why the Joe Barry era quietly changed everything about how the Green Bay Packers approach coaching — especially when it comes to paying assistant coaches. Using new reporting and behind-the-scenes context, Wilde breaks down how Green Bay’s long-standing reputation for being “cheap” on assistants came back to bite them, and why the failures of the Joe Barry defenses may have forced a philosophical reset inside the organization. Wilde explains: Why the Packers likely low-balled coordinator candidates in the past How Joe Barry became the fallback option — and why that mattered What changed with the hires of Rich Bisaccia and Jeff Hafley How much those hires actually cost, including buyouts Why assistant coach pay directly affects who is willing to come to Green Bay The conversation also digs into how NFL coaching salaries are intentionally opaque, why numbers only leak when teams want to change a narrative, and how reputation spreads quickly through coaching circles. Wilde provides clarity on a key point Packers fans often miss: You don’t just lose good coaches because of scheme — you lose them because other teams are willing to pay for experience and proven voices, while you’re trying to win on a discount. The segment closes with a blunt takeaway: If the Packers want to compete for championships in the modern NFL, cutting corners on coaching is no longer an option — and Joe Barry’s tenure made that impossible to ignore. 🎧 Insightful, grounded, and revealing context on how Green Bay got here — and why the organization may finally be changing how it operates — with Jason Wilde on Jen, Gabe & Chewy.