A surprising return to the AFC East.
Hated former New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has landed a gig with the Miami Dolphins as their quarterbacks coach, ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano revealed.
The Hackett Experience Was a Disaster for the Jets
History tends to repeat itself.
After the 2022 season, the Jets fired their young offensive cooridator who showed some upside in Mike LaFleur.
After back-to-back losing seasons, then head coach Robert Saleh struggled to find a capable replacement because of the outside perception about his job security.
In a pure act of desperation, the Jets hired Hackett as the OC. He was coming off a disastrous run with the Denver Broncos, in which he was fired months into signing a four-year deal to become the head coach.
The Jets hired Hackett for the outside chance that he could help lure future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to New York.
The plan worked.
Rodgers announced his intentions to play for the Jets on “The Pat McAfee Show” while still a member of the Green Bay Packers. Long story short, the Packers eventually ship off Rodgers to New York in a blockbuster trade.
To make an even longer story short, the entire Rodgers experiment was a painful disaster of epic proportions. Hackett was inevitably fired, and Rodgers was eventually released.
Now the Jets are set to face off against Hackett twice a year inside the AFC East.
Top Social Media Reactions to Hackett’s Return to the AFC East
“Ratings for the re-airings of Austin Powers Goldmember are about to soar in the state of Florida,” Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic posted.
“The 2026 Jets/Dolphins games are going to be something else,” analyst Jeff Parles said.
“This is such a downgrade lmao,” a fan responded.
“Dolphins following the Broncos playbook:
1) Hire Nathanial Hackett
2) Cut undersized, broken QB on massive contract (Russ/Tua)
3) Draft replacement QB
4) Clinch #1 Seed in the AFC,” a social media enthusiast shared.
Packers Connections for Life
This news shouldn’t come as a surprise. Despite Hackett’s very questionable track record of success in the NFL, it’s all about who you know.
You can stay in the NFL’s coaching fraternity forever if you know the right people. Hackett certainly fits that category.
This offseason, Miami went through a regime overhaul. The Dolphins plucked a few ripe fruits from the very successful Packers tree.
Jon-Eric Sullivan was hired as the general manager, and Jeff Hafley was hired as the head coach. Both men were most recently in Green Bay.
After Hackett was jettisoned from New York, he immediately landed on his feet in Green Bay, serving as a defensive analyst.
He had a previous stint in Green Bay, serving as the offensive coordinator for three seasons from 2019 to 2021.
All of that Packers connective tissue will likely lead Miami to pursue free agent quarterback Malik Willis this offseason. The talented passer found new life in Green Bay after some bad years with the Tennessee Titans. It would make sense to reconnect those dots when given the chance on the open market.
Hated Jets Coach Lands With Bitter Rival in Surprising Twist