Getty QB Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers reacts after a play during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers found tremendous success over the three years that Nathaniel Hackett ran their offense. The Denver Broncos weren’t so lucky.
The Broncos (4-11) gave Hackett the ax on Monday, December 26, before he had completed his first full season as head coach. On Tuesday, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke about the brief and disastrous tenure of his former offensive coordinator in Denver.
“Obviously it wasn’t a great fit for Nathaniel Hackett in Denver for a number of reasons & the new owner decided to make a change” ~@AaronRodgers12
“Obviously, it wasn’t a great fit in Denver for a number of reasons that I don’t think I need to bring up, but the record is what it was and the new owner decided to make a change, which is his prerogative,” Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show. “Hack is still gonna get paid, and he’s still got an incredible wife and a great family and a lot of things to be proud of. And he’s got a great friend in me still.”
Hackett served as Green Bay’s OC for three years between 2019-21. The team won 13 games and the NFC North Division each of those three seasons. Rodgers also won back-to-back MVPs in his final two campaigns playing for Hackett.
Hackett’s Skills as QB Whisperer Did Not Transfer From Rodgers to Wilson
GettyNathaniel Hackett, former head coach of the Denver Broncos, walks off the field before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
The Broncos were expected to compete in a talented AFC West Division with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, both of which have already clinched playoff spots with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
Instead, Denver’s offense is currently dead last in the league with an average of 15.5 points per game, despite signing quarterback Russell Wilson to a five-year extension worth north of $242.5 million that keeps him under contract with the franchise through the 2028 season. The nine-time Pro-Bowl quarterback is on pace this season to produce career lows in wins, completion percentage, touchdown passes, quarterback rating and total QBR.
The offensive woes were even more stark in comparison to how well the defense played, allowing just 20.3 points per game to opponents. That number was considerably lower before the banged-up Los Angeles Rams and new QB Baker Mayfield hung 51 points on the Broncos in Week 16. However, as an offensive mind, Hackett took much of the blame for Denver’s inability to score points and little of the credit for their ability to keep opponents off the scoreboard.
Packers Head Coach Matt LaFleur Calls Hackett’s Firing ‘Ugly’
GettyHead coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the second half of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 27, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Packers Matt LaFleur knows better than most the intricacies and difficulties of the highly pressurized and highly sought after position of NFL head coach. He, too, spoke to Hackett’s firing when he met with the media on Monday.
“It’s an ugly part of this business,” LaFleur said. “I feel for him right now. I’m always here for him if he needs someone to talk to.”
Hackett’s success in Green Bay, his relationships with Rodgers and LaFleur, and how recently he was employed there have combined to lead to widespread speculation that the team’s former OC could end up back with the Packers as early as 2023.
However, Jason B. Hirschhorn of SB Nation pointed out why that outcome is unlikely via Twitter on Monday.
“The #Broncos have fired HC Nathaniel Hackett,” Hirschhorn wrote. “Before anyone projects him to the #Packers, keep in mind he has years of salary still coming to him. Some coaches jump in right away despite this (see: Rhule, Matt). Others take their time before taking an on-field coaching position.”
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Rodgers Breaks Silence on Firing of Packers’ Former OC Hackett