Broncos finalizing deal to make Nathaniel Hackett new head coach

The Denver Broncos selected Nathaniel Hackett as the 18th head coach in club history.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Thursday morning that the Broncos are finalizing a deal with Hackett to make him their new head coach, per sources informed of the situation.

Hackett’s hire is the first of nine head coach openings to be filled this offseason.

The Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator was a hot candidate this cycle. Talks heated up with Denver on Wednesday night as Hackett planned to interview for the Jacksonville Jaguars coaching job today. The Broncos made sure that interview didn’t happen.

The 42-year-old has spent the past three seasons as the Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator, helping Aaron Rodgers win what is expected to be back-to-back MVPs.

The Packers have the second-most offensive TDs (160) and the fewest giveaways (37) in the NFL since Hackett became the OC in 2019.

While Rodgers and Matt LaFleur received most of the credit outside the Packers facility for Green Bay’s potent offense, both have raved about the job Hackett has done preparing the team each week.

Green Bay hopes to fill its now vacant OC role from within, with quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy the prime candidate to take over.

A former linebacker at UC Davis, Hackett spent his early career as a college assistant before leaping to the pros as an offensive quality control coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Jon Gruden in 2006. After returning to college to be Syracuse’s passing game coordinator and offensive coordinator, Hackett followed Doug Marrone to the Buffalo Bills as the OC.

Hackett spent two seasons as the Bills OC, then traveled to Jacksonville with Marrone first as QBs coach (2015-2016) and then got the coordinator job when Marrone was promoted to head coach (2016-2018).

Hackett didn’t call plays in Green Bay, but is considered innovative, energetic, and can relate to players, which will serve him well as a first-time head coach.

Hackett has been endorsed by Rodgers multiple times for head coaching jobs. The connection between the new coach and QB will launch a new round of Rodgers-to-Denver rumors. If the MVP QB decides to force his way out of Green Bay with a trade demand, the Broncos make a lot of sense as a landing spot. Denver has a playoff-caliber roster, with weapons galore on offense and a burgeoning secondary, outside needing a quarterback.

Under former coach Vic Fangio, the defense remained one of the best in the NFL, but the offense couldn’t get off the ground due to inconsistent quarterback play. Hackett’s task as the first coaching hire under GM George Paton will be to inject life into that offense regardless of who the next quarterback might be.

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