Even with some chatter about his job, Hackett says he doesn’t feel pressure
Oct 26, 2022, 9:43 AM
The Denver Broncos had their first media availability in London on Wednesday.
They practiced in the afternoon at a local school, before head coach Nathaniel Hackett and QB Russell Wilson talked with folks who made the trip across the pond. Back home, it was bright and early. Then again, so is kickoff for the game against the Jaguars on Sunday. That’s scheduled for 7:30 a.m. MT.
But the chatter here in Denver is about the job security of Hackett, should the Broncos lose. A defeat would drop them to 2-6 and put them on a five game losing streak. ESPN’s Dan Graziano was fired up on Wednesday when Bleacher Report claimed he said if the Broncos fall to the Jags, Hackett could be fired. B/R deleted the tweet, but Graziano quoted it and claimed that’s not what he meant.
Regardless, this isn’t the first instance of whispers that Hackett could be shown the door during the bye week if the Broncos falter again. This season hasn’t even come close to living up to expectations. Denver has the worst offense in the NFL and would currently be sending the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Seahawks as part of the Wilson trade. The oddsmakers even have Hackett as the “best” odds to be the next coach fired.
So, all of this leads to one obvious question: Does Hackett feel the outside pressure based on his team’s horrid start? It was asked by 104.3 The Fan and Denver7 Broncos insider Troy Renck.
“No. I mean, I always feel pressure on myself from the standpoint of me personally. We want to win every game, and so when you lose games you’re very upset about it. We are who we are, and we’ve got to dig ourselves out of this. As a team, we’ve got to come together. We always talk about adversity, that’s part of this game. And the teams, the ones that are tested in adversity, usually have the best chance to move forward,” Hackett said.
That’s the right answer. A simple ‘no’ followed by explaining he puts pressure on himself. What’s Hackett supposed to say? That he’s reading every article, hears it all and is worried? That wouldn’t exactly instill confidence from his team.
But this could be do or die time for Hackett and the Broncos. There’s a real sense he has to win this one to ensure he remains Denver’s coach the rest of the season.
Sunday is filled with drama, even if the game is between two lousy 2-5 football teams.
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