As Robert Saleh was planning to do, Jeff Ulbrich will demote Nathaniel Hackett. The second-year Jets offensive coordinator will no longer carry play-calling responsibilities.
Instead, quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator Todd Downing will take over. Ulbrich announced this change Thursday morning, and Hackett’s stock continues to nosedive in the years since his Packers OC tenure. This will be Downing’s third chance at calling plays for a team, as he did so as Raiders OC and Titans OC. Ulbrich will remain the Jets’ defensive play-caller.
The Jets had conducted a backchannel search for an assistant that would aid Hackett this offseason, contacting Arthur Smith about the unusual role. No official OC interviews occurred, and Hackett — who has continually received Aaron Rodgers endorsements despite his shaky resume — retained play-calling duties. But the Jets’ offense has not seen Rodgers’ return produce a substantial improvement. Considering Zach Wilson was primarily at the controls last season, these struggles played a central role in Saleh being fired.
Hackett’s offense, which ranked 29th in scoring and 31st in yardage last season, enters Week 6 ranked 25th and 27th in those categories. Breece Hall is averaging just three yards per carry, with the Jets ranking last in rushing. The second-generation NFL coach has taken heat for a lack of pre-snap motion, keeping an old-school West Coast Offense attack in place for Rodgers to run. Hackett, 44, had begun to lose respect in the locker room; Jets defenders were irked by the lack of accountability for the offense’s struggles.
Hackett, who saw his stock rise from his stay as a non-play-calling OC in Green Bay under Matt LaFleur, has proven overmatched at multiple stops this decade. This demotion continues one of the more memorable coaching freefalls in recent memory.
Fired as Jaguars OC during the 2018 season, Hackett rebounded with the Packers and beat out Dan Quinn to become Broncos HC in 2022. A shockingly disjointed offense defined that disastrous Denver campaign, which saw the team plummet from 21st to 32nd in scoring despite the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. The Broncos fired Hackett after 15 games, making him the second HC since 1979 fired before his first season ended. Eyeing Rodgers, the Jets gave Hackett a lifeboat soon after. But Saleh’s hire did not produce desired results. With Rodgers back and not showing much of his MVP form following an Achilles tear, the Jets booted Saleh and are now giving the keys to Downing.
This represents a bounce-back opportunity for Downing, who saw a DUI during the 2022 season lead him out of Tennessee. The Titans canned Downing, 44, after the ’22 season brought a step back. The Titans dropped from 15th to 28th in scoring from 2021-22, though Ryan Tannehill‘s ankle injury — which cost the starter five games during the ’22 season — contributed heavily to that decline. That said, Downing was a one-and-done OC in Oakland. Jack Del Rio promoted his QBs coach to OC, replacing Bill Musgrave, in 2017. The end result: Del Rio’s firing and Downing returning to his hometown Vikings as tight ends coach.
Derek Carr took a noticeable step back, despite Amari Cooper remaining on the Raiders’ roster, in 2017; that led to Mark Davis‘ restart around Jon Gruden. Downing joined Mike Vrabel‘s Titans staff in 2019, following the Smith trajectory by being bumped from TEs coach to OC. This Jets gig will present far more pressure, however, as an all-in team with jobs on the line will rely on Downing to inject some life into an offense that has stagnated.
The Jets, who are retaining Hackett on staff, scored just nine points against the Broncos and fell behind 17-0 against the Vikings. Meanwhile, the Saleh- and Ulbrich-coached defense ranks fifth in scoring and second in yardage. After Saleh fell on his sword, Ulbrich will be tasked with re-routing the 2-3 team’s course. The team faces the Bills for a shot at the division lead Monday. Suddenly, Downing holds the keys to the Jets’ Rodgers-centric plan being salvaged.
Long as he’s not automatic run-run-pass on every possession, what can it hurt?
OK, so they can acknowledge that the running of the offense is the biggest problem, but only after sacrificing a fall guy who wasn’t the problem? So stupid.
They are not in a position to dump Rodgers. And he seems to be a big reason for their bad play. Watching the last game you can tell he does not care.
I think he looked hobbled more than anything. And running a predictable offense with no play action or misdirection is just outdated. They were also playing the same defense that humbled Purdy and Stroud this season. I don’t see how firing Saleh after five games is supposed to help.
Maybe Saleh put a whoppie cushion on Woody Johnson’s wife’s chair?
Slappy- I think Rodgers is about fifth on the list of reasons the offense has stunk. That comes with the caveat that fifth is still pretty dang bad considering everything wrong with this offense: playcalling, stone hands WRs like Lazard (3 drops last Sunday), RT having played very poorly so far (Moses wasn’t off to a good start and Fashanu has been horrible in relief), and a run game that’s been inefficient to put it nicely.
Or, to put it not so nicely, a run game that’s been stuffed more frequently than a Kardashian.
Lazard is only there because of Rodgers, otherwise he’d be out of the league.
Saleh gets no credit whatsoever. I mean, was there any point in his four-year run that suggested that the Jets had arrived? One could argue in favor of completing the season, but in no way was he a fall guy.
The defense has been excellent. The team played hard for him even after Rodgers went down last year. He’s had abysmal quarterbacks and was saddled with a bottom five offensive coordinator to entice Rodgers. I don’t think he’s one of the best head coaches in the league or anything, but even with this year’s problems, they’re a missed 50 yard kick from being tied for first place. Senseless to fire him now.
Agreed. It’s especially frustrating that they did what Saleh wanted to do anyway after firing him and harming the team.
Considering the mismanagement from the top, I think he was rescued from the Titanic.
Fair point, fair point.
Rodgers cooked but still in charge
He’s not, even if he could be better. It may just be me, but I find that people who use that word in that context usually do so in the worst takes.
If that were true, they wouldn’t be demoting HIS coach..would they?
they didnt fire him or demote him from his title because of Rodgers. With the way the offense has been puttering and the fact they were looking for someone to help him coordinate before the season tells you Rodgers has a lot of pull and Hackett will be on the Jets in pretty much name only.
They basically took away many of his responsibilities which usually is precursor to a firing. He might as well be the head security guard for an abandoned parking lot in the middle of death valley.
lol maybe jets will score more than 9 points then
Considering they scored 17 and 19 against better Ds, the 9 in a hurricane against another really good D was unlucky timing more than anything.
Well I’ll be!!
Did Roger Goodell get involved here?
And despite the ongoing rolling dumpster fire issue the Jets seem to be having here….watch them win their next game
Got rid of Saleh and demoted Hackett?!?! Jets with their best moves in years!
Hackett is a joke…only reason he has a job is because of prima donna Rodgers. Jets should just shed this washed up, overrated Moron
Also because of his dad Paul too
As a Packer fan who wanted to dump The Diva almost a decade ago, this makes me very happy to see.
It’s like the Adam Gase years – who wants playcalling duties?
*puts finger on nose
NOT IT!
I’m so grateful for the Jets…. I was just starting to feel sorry for myself and the Niners…. at least Nathaniel Hackett is not employeed by my team. This is what you replace Saleh with? I’d have called Bellichek before ever giving Hacket a piece of paper and a pen. This will end bad… or worse.
Jets would’ve faced a fan revolt had they hired Belichick — they blew the whistle on his spying operation and they’re also the team that ended his career.
THAT would push fans over the edge? Not the circus in the front office or the narcissist clown they insist will take them to the promised land?
Your beloved Belichick is a loser and a cheater. Jets fans understand that. Sportsball TV, talk radio, and NYC tabloids do not.
Well, they didn’t replace him with Hackett, so I’m not sure what you’re going on about. Hackett was demoted. Saleh was replaced by Ulbrich, who is actually a highly thought of coach.
It is entirely possible that Hackett isn’t particularly good at his job.
Hacketts twin is Matt Canada
@bucco, bravo, it feels like Canada was a few years ago but only last year. crazy
“Isn’t particularly good” is a very kind way to put it. Lol. I’d have saved a few keystrokes and just said he’s abysmal at it.
I’m curious what he does now though. Are they paying him to hold Aaron’s water bottle for the rest of the year?
Then why fire Saleh if the dude replacing him is making the same decision to replace Hackett?
Defense isn’t and wasn’t the problem in NY.
Tune in later today when the headline reads: Jets fire Jeff Ulbrich. Aaron is probably hobbling to the phone right now.
Well the job is only have done. Now the Jet have to hire Rex Ryan so the defense can be wrecked…lol.
Now the Jets will give up a couple of picks for Davante Adams to make the destruction complete.
That would probably improve their offense, though. The questionable end of that deal is what the picks could do for them, not whether Adams would help. After the Saleh firing, though, I don’t know if Adams is as eager to play for a franchise that appears to be in self-induced turmoil, whether or not his buddy is still there.
Much harder now to hang the Salleh firing on Rodgers, if the alleged plan by Salleh to demote Hackett has taken place anyway.
It does however stoke the fire on the Salleh fired for the Lebanese flag narrative.
I hadn’t heard the flag thing-I assume that there’s controversy over the Lebanese coach wearing the flag after the invasion?
The issue with the Lebanon flag has been raised by CAIR, an organization that speaks for Muslims in the US. CAIR has accused the Jets of firing Saleh because he wore the Lebanese flag on his sweater during the game in London. Saleh is a Muslim born to Lebanese parents — and Lebanon was invaded by Israel a few weeks ago.
That part I I understood. I was unaware of the theory behind Saleh’s firing, though. Apparently a Jets longtime radio host raised the issue after hearing it from some source.
After reading a bit, the wearing of the flag wasn’t some new thing by Saleh, nor even his idea. Apparently he did so for a few years prior on certain occasions, due to the NFL program that had players with international ties wear their countries’ flags on gameday (such as Fred Warner, for instance). So, whatever bearing it had or didn’t have on his firing, Saleh apparently didn’t do it in relation to recent events, nor even at his own formulation. Thank you for the background, Chucky.
I don’t think it was the cause, but of course that is speculation. If there were personality conflicts, which may be the case, that could renew the Rodgers involvement claims. But it would not seem that if Rodgers was involved, it was to protect Hackett.
There’s also the thought that he was fired because Woody was so embarrassed to lose to Sam Darnold in front of his London buddies from his ambassadorship. But ultimately, we know this comes back to Rodgers
I dunno. Apparently he wasn’t expecting it, per his teammates. It could be a front, but Rodgers was also apparently finally onboard with the demotion as well. Perhaps I’m naive, but I believe that Rodgers didn’t have Saleh fired to protect Hackett because if that were the case, he’d have forced the team not to demote him afterward. Apparently everyone not named Woody Johnson was surprised by the move.
Buddy Hackett would’ve been a better OC
… and yes I’m dating myself
Hey buck..at least Buddy Hackett was funny. This Hackett is just sad.
I remember Buddy Hackett and I’m dating myself also lol
I was once tempted to date myself but then I realized what a lousy dance partner I’d be.
There is nothing to be ashamed of with 40+ year old pop culture references.
Netflix calling for a Hackett/Ray Handley buddy comedy.