Hackett says Broncos have “high expectations,” briefly speaks on job status

Listening to Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett at this point is like listening to a broken record.

During his postgame press conference after another embarrassing loss, 23-10 to the Carolina Panthers, Hackett didn’t say anything new or interesting. The spark from the fun guy when he got hired is officially gone. There’s no more of that energy he brought to the podium during training camp. Hackett has to know, deep down, this thing is a wrap.

And at 3-8, the Broncos have been the most disappointing team in the NFL this year. So, of course, just like last week, Hackett was asked if he’s worried about his job status. He dodged the question.

“I mean, it’s about the team. I just want to find a way to win a football game. It’s so important to me. These coaches, these players, work so hard. And I just want to be there for them. I’m going to try to make it so we can be successful out on the field,” Hackett said.

Again, that’s a non-answer to a very relevant question. At this point, it feels like a matter of when not if Hackett will be dismissed. The Broncos offense was ptiful on Sunday, and QB Russell Wilson couldn’t get anything cooking.

Hackett was asked about the team not meeting expectations, which were so high at the beginning of the year.  He launched into a few cliches, before actually giving an answer.

“Every week we evaluate things, try to see how we can improve. We definitely have to get certain guys up to speed, see if they can get out there and contribute at a higher level. But we’re going to continually look at everything to see how we can get better. And yes, we all have high expectations. Every game we go into, we want to win that football game. We feel like we can and we’ve got to do a better job across the board. And it starts with me,” Hackett said.

There’s a little bit of accountability at the end, but we’ve heard the “it starts with me” line multiple times this year. And it may start with Hackett sooner rather than later, as CEO Greg Penner and GM George Paton have a big decision to make in the next 24 hours.

Will Hackett be the coach come Monday afternoon? Stay tuned.

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