The Green Bay Packers are exploring outside candidates in an effort to fill the team’s vacant defensive backs coaching job.
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers recently interviewed former Minnesota Vikings assistant Jerry Gray, who served six seasons as the defensive backs coach under Mike Zimmer.
Jason Simmons, last year’s defensive backs coach in Green Bay, left the Packers for a job with the Carolina Panthers.
Gray, a first-round pick in 1985 who played nine seasons in the NFL, has been in coaching since 1999. He was the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills (2001-05) and Tennessee Titans (2011-13) and the defensive backs coach for the Titans (1999-2000), Washington Redskins (2006-09), Seattle Seahawks (2010) and Vikings (2014-19).
The Packers’ defensive backs coaching job is an important one. The secondary features young, developing players such as Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Josh Jackson and Darnell Savage. Gray, who helped Zimmer build the Vikings into one of the top defenses, could be the right man to help Mike Pettine and his staff get the Packers secondary to the next level.
Gray, 57, is a Texas native. He is a College Football Hall of Famer and a four-time Pro Bowl pick.
