The Denver Broncos have hired Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to become the franchise’s 18th head coach, the team announced on Thursday. The California native replaces Vic Fangio, who was let go after three seasons.
Hackett’s NFL career began as an offensive quality control coach for Tampa Bay in 2006. After a brief stint at Syracuse, he returned to the league where he spent the past nine seasons, including three as Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator and three in his current role.
According to FootballOutsiders, the Packers offense was relatively unchanged from the previous year until Hackett’s first offensive coordinator. For the past two seasons, the team has finished first or second in DVOA, which is a metric measuring offensive production. The Packers offense has the fewest turnovers (37) and the second-best red-zone offense since 2019 with Hackett as offensive coordinator.
The California native had also interviewed Chicago, Minnesota and Jacksonville for their respective openings. Hackett, 42, was still involved in the search for the Jaguars as of yesterday, according to reports.
Thursday’s news will fuel the Aaron Rodgers Denver rumors that started last offseason. Rodgers noted after the season that it was unclear what the future held for him. If the veteran isn’t the answer within the organization, he’ll likely have to approach the quarterback job another way after Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock delivered lackluster performances in 2021.
Despite winning their first three games, the Broncos finished with a 7-10 record. They hold the No. 9 overall pick, which is the same pick used to select Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II a year earlier in the 2022 NFL Draft. salary cap, according to Spotrac.com, with around $44.8 million.
No Denver coach has lasted more than four seasons since Mike Shanahan left in 2008.
The NFL pushed back the league schedule to accommodate the addition of Week 18, and that had a direct impact on the hiring process. A year ago, the first head coaching hire was on Jan. 14 and the last hire was on Jan. 29. The Giants, Raiders, Bears, Jaguars, Vikings, Dolphins, Texans and now Saints still have active openings.
