Sports Illustrated delivers bold prediction of huge success for Hackett

Only one Denver Broncos head coach has ever won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award.

That was the late, great Red Miller back in 1977, leading Denver’s “Orange Crush” defense to a 12-2 record and a Super Bowl appearance against the Cowboys.

And while other Broncos head coaches have won Coach of the Year awards from different publications, the AP is the gold standard. According to Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr, new head coach Nathaniel Hackett is poised to break the 45-year drought this season.

Orr released “100 bold predictions” for the 2022 NFL season, and noted he thinks the COTY will come from the AFC West, with Hackett as the favorite. Here’s what he had to say:

25. The 2022 Coach of the Year will come out of the AFC West
Just to add some flavor to this epically hedged prediction, my early leader in the clubhouse is Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett, who, with a new quarterback and improved defense, has the best chance of transforming a franchise overnight. Brandon Staley, Josh McDaniels and Andy Reid are always a threat.

The oddsmakers give Hackett a fighting chance to take home the award, listing him with 16-1 odds. Only Staley (Los Angeles Chargers), Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Brian Daboll (New York Giants) have better odds. Those three all sit at 14-1. McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders) is also at 16-1 while Reid (Kansas City Chiefs) checks in at 30-1.

Is it possible for Hackett to win the honor if everything goes right? Of course. The Broncos have been awful the last six seasons, missing the playoffs in each one, and posting one of the worst combined records in the NFL over that span.

With Hackett’s infectious energy and Russell Wilson leaps and bounds better than any QB Denver has had since Peyton Manning, anything is possible. The Broncos schedule is also loaded with primetime games, so the country and the voters will get to see plenty of Hackett. If they get off to a quick start and somehow win the AFC West, or at least make the playoffs, he’ll definitely be in the mix.

To check out Orr’s full predictions, including one about Peyton Manning and Von Miller, click here.

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