Packers “entertaining” bringing back fired Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett
Jan 10, 2023, 11:04 AM
All we can say is good luck with this one.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters on Monday that he’s “entertained” the idea of bringing back former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett to his staff in Green Bay.
Hackett was fired by Denver after a disastrous 15 games. The team went 4-11 and had a Christmas Day meltdown in Los Angeles. The 51-14 loss, sideline scuffle and postgame fight were so embarrassing that Broncos CEO Greg Penner canned Hackett with two games to go. That isn’t stopping LaFleur from possibly giving him another job.
“I think you can never have enough great coaches, and certainly you guys know how I feel about Nathaniel and the job he did here,” LaFleur said. “I did talk to him after he got let go in Denver, I know that he needs some family time as well.”
Hackett was on Green Bay’s staff as offensive coordinator from 2019-2021, but didn’t call plays. He did that the first half of this season in Denver, but it went so poorly he relinquished those duties to Klint Kubiak. The Packers aren’t expected to fire current OC Adam Stenavich, so it’s unclear what Hackett’s new role would be.
In retrospect, it appears Broncos GM George Paton hired Hackett to try to lure Aaron Rodgers to Denver. That didn’t work, so Paton pivoted to Russell Wilson. The former Seahawks QB and Hackett could never get on the same page, leading to the worst offense in the NFL.
Hackett is probably an okay football coach overall, but he’s a terrible head coach and bad play-caller, two things the Broncos needed him to thrive at.
Maybe a return to Green Bay would help him regain his footing. Or maybe it’s where he’s meant to be, in a role with significantly less pressure, giving out hugs and being friends with the players.
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