Nathaniel Hackett

Broncos HC Fallout: Penner, Paton, Payton, Hackett, Evero, Rosburg, Rypien, Risner

December 28th, 2022 at 3:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

George Paton‘s status with the Broncos has taken some hits this week. Although the second-year GM is set to remain in his post, it appears the decisions to hire Nathaniel Hackett and trade for Russell Wilson have cost him.

New Broncos CEO Greg Penner is set to play a major role in the team’s next HC hire, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. With the Broncos still in the process of putting the team up for sale when they conducted the search that produced Hackett, Paton led the hiring process. Penner said he will rely on Paton during the team’s latest hiring effort, but with it being the new ownership’s first HC search, it should be expected the GM will not have final say.

Paton’s situation reminds somewhat of Joe Douglas‘ with the Jets, though the former has not been on the job as long. Douglas has rebuilt the Jets’ defense to the point the team is a playoff contender, and this year’s draft class has helped the team considerably. But the Zach Wilson investment has gone south fast. Paton passed on Justin Fields for burgeoning star cornerback Patrick Surtain II and landed high-end starters Javonte Williams and Quinn Meinerz in Rounds 2 and 3, while also adding outside linebacker Baron Browning on Day 2 of last year’s draft. Denver collected first- and fourth-round picks for Bradley Chubb at this year’s deadline, helping to fill the draft-capital void created by the Wilson trade. While several of Paton’s moves have worked out, the Wilson-Hackett partnership undercut them and has the former Vikings lieutenant on thinner ice.

It is not known if Paton or ownership pushed to have Wilson signed long-term before this season. Conversations ramped up once Penner arrived along with Rob Walton, and the team wanted to avoid waiting until 2023 to extend the QB. But the five-year, $245MM extension is off to a shockingly poor start. Penner announcing that the next HC will report to him and not Paton strips the latter’s power to the point Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk posits the next Broncos coach will have the chance to run the football operation. Paton, 52, has held that role since arriving last year.

The Broncos have experienced ups and downs with a coach running the show, going from Mike Shanahan in this role to the overmatched Josh McDaniels, who held de facto GM power upon being hired in 2009. Considering new ownership’s deep pockets and a potential offer to run football operations, the Broncos would present an intriguing opportunity for an experienced head coach. That is believed to be the direction Denver heads this time, after seeing first-time hires Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Hackett underwhelm.

“I’ve worked with a lot of great CEOs, and it starts with really strong leadership,” Penner said. “I think that’s going to be the most critical factor here in a head coach. Obviously the X’s and O’s are important, but we need a strong leader for this organization that’s focused on winning. That starts with culture, it’s instilling a sense of accountability, discipline, and we need an identity on offense. At the starting point, it’s got to be about culture and leadership, and those characteristics are what we’ve focused on the most.”

Frank Reich, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Sean Payton are believed to be on the early radar. The Broncos could make a strong run at Payton, Fowler adds, though it is not certain the former Saints HC is interested. Harbaugh has a relationship with Broncos consultant John Elway, who ran the team’s football ops for 10 years, and minority owner Condoleezza Rice due to each’s Stanford ties. Rice worked with Harbaugh during his time with the Cardinal, per Florio, adding an interesting wrinkle to the upcoming search.

As for the team’s current setup, interim HC Jerry Rosburg said (via 9News’ Mike Klis, on Twitter) DC Ejiro Evero declined the chance to be the interim option out of loyalty to Hackett. Evero and Hackett have been friends since they were college teammates at UC-Davis. The league has also shifted away from promoting interim coaches, with Doug Marrone being the most recent such hire back in 2017. The Broncos still want to interview Evero, though the first-time DC does not profile as an experienced candidate.

Rosburg, 67, also said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, on Twitter) it was his decision to fire special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry. Both were Hackett hires. Rosburg also confirmed it was Paton, not Hackett, who brought him out of retirement to be the team’s game management assistant. Hackett’s run of issues during the season’s first two weeks led to the hire. The sideline confrontation between Brett Rypien and Dalton Risner also contributed to the early Hackett dismissal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link), as it was a sign the first-year coach was losing the team. Penner said off-field matters led to the early firing. Randy Gregory, who threw a punch at Rams offensive lineman Oday Aboushi and faced a suspension, cited Hackett’s tenuous status as HC in his successful appeal to the league, Klis tweets.

Broncos GM Believes Russell Wilson Is Fixable; Next HC To Report To Ownership

December 27th, 2022 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Broncos GM George Paton has seen a few members of his 2021 draft class become high-end starters, and the team’s Bradley Chubb trade at this year’s deadline netted a first-round pick. But Paton’s two biggest moves since taking the GM reins — hiring Nathaniel Hackett as head coach and trading for Russell Wilson — have moved him to a relatively hot seat.

Although Paton is staying on in the wake of Hackett joining a short list of HCs fired before the end of their first season (just five since the 1970 merger), new Broncos CEO Greg Penner said (via NFL.com) the next head coach will report directly to him. This effectively minimizes Paton’s power, and it should not be considered out of the question the Broncos will be looking for a new GM if the next head coach insists on it.

Paton, 52, was a sought-after GM candidate for years and was viewed as likely to stay on in Denver prior to Hackett’s ouster. But the Hackett-Wilson pairing ignited a stunningly ineffective offense, leading to Denver falling well short of expectations despite a stout defense. The Broncos rank last in scoring — down from 23rd with Teddy Bridgewater and OC Pat Shurmur at the controls last season — and chose to both bring in a game management assistant and move their QBs coach (Klint Kubiak) to the play-calling role. The next Denver HC will be tasked with repairing Wilson, something Paton believes can happen.

“We saw flashes of Russ this year. Russ even said he didn’t play up to his standard,” Paton said. “He will be the first one to tell you he didn’t play up to his standard, didn’t play up to our standard. He needs to be better.

“I don’t think we made a coaching move based on Russ. That wasn’t what it’s all about. That’s not why we’re getting a new coach, to turn around Russ, it’s about the entire organization. It’s about the entire football team. It’s just not one player. It’s not whether Russ is fixable or not. We do believe he is. We do.”

After making the blockbuster trade for the nine-time Pro Bowl passer, the Broncos gave him significant input in helping design the offense, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Broncos also allowed Wilson’s personal team unfettered access. Attempting for much of this season to play more from the pocket — a scenario some Seahawks staffers envisioned would take place as Wilson (fourth all time in QB rushing yards) aged — the 11th-year QB has produced by far his worst season. The potential Hall of Famer has played through injuries for much of the year and often lined up with a backup-laden offensive line and receiving corps. The Broncos have also been without Javonte Williams since October. But Wilson’s struggles to this degree (29th in QBR — a sharp decline from 10th in a down 2021 season) have been one of the most shocking developments in recent quarterback history.

The Broncos gave Wilson a five-year, $245MM extension in August, tying him to the team through the 2028 season. The team’s offensive freefall will certainly impact its next HC search. Paton, Penner, Rob Walton and minority owner Condoleezza Rice will work toward finding a staff that can coax better play from the current franchise centerpiece.

“The decision to have Russell here was a long-term one,” Penner said. “This season has not been up to his standards or expectations. We saw some glimpses of it in the last few weeks. He knows he can play better, we know he can play better, and we know he will do the right work in the offseason to be ready for next year.

“George and I have had a chance to get to know each other — we talk every day since we purchased the team a number of months ago — and he acknowledged right up front there were a couple of decisions that hadn’t worked out as he had expected. But I understand his thought process. He understands the work that needs to be done in this offseason, and I’m going to rely on him heavily as we go through and make these changes.”

The team offered the interim HC gig to DC Ejiro Evero, who declined, leading to Jerry Rosburg — whom the Broncos pulled out of retirement to address Hackett’s game management issues — taking the gig. But the team wants to interview Evero for the full-time position. While Evero may be in the mix, Mike Klis of 9News notes experience will likely be prioritized. Frank Reich, Dan Quinn, Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton should be considered candidates, per Klis, and SI.com’s Albert Breer heard Harbaugh connections to Denver shortly before Hackett’s firing.

Payton will require trade compensation to land, as the Saints still hold his rights, and will be coveted by every team searching for a new coach. Reich said he hopes to coach again in 2023, while Quinn was a Broncos finalist this year. Paton added experience is a plus but not a requirement.

Harbaugh signed a new Michigan contract last year and recently reaffirmed his commitment to the Wolverines, but the ex-49ers HC has long lingered on the NFL fringe. The Vikings interviewed Harbaugh last year, and the Colts have now been linked to an attempt to bring him back to Indianapolis. Harbaugh, 59, has a relationship with John Elway, per Breer, dating back to the former’s time as Stanford’s HC. Elway is no longer in a regular role but works as a consultant; he had input in the Broncos’ process to trade for Wilson this year. Harbaugh’s 49ers stay did include some notable quarterback success stories. The fiery HC elevated Alex Smith‘s career in the early 2010s and redesigned his offense to suit the talents of Colin Kaepernick, leading to three straight NFC championship game appearances.

Coaches formerly with the Seahawks could be candidates as well, with CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson indicating options like Quinn and Dolphins QBs coach Darrell Bevell — a longtime Seahawks OC — have been brought up (Twitter links). The Broncos had success when pivoting to retreated head coaches John Fox and Gary Kubiak. While Peyton Manning had plenty to do with that, it appears the team will try to move in this direction after three straight first-timers — Hackett, Vic Fangio, Vance Joseph — could not end the now-seven-season playoff drought.

Broncos Fire Nathaniel Hackett, Name Jerry Rosburg Interim HC

December 26th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

4:00pm: The Broncos have gone with senior assistant Jerry Rosburg as their interim HC to close out the season, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets and the team has since confirmed. The veteran coach was hired in September to assist with in-game operations and decisions, including clock management. The 67-year-old’s background is in special teams, including stints with the Browns, Falcons and, for one decade, the Ravens; he will oversee the team’s staff in all three phases.

Pelissero adds that the interim HC role was originally offered to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who has become a prime candidate for a full-time head coaching gig given his performance in 2022 (Twitter link). He has instead decided to remain the DC to close out the campaign, as he heads towards what will likely be a busy offseason filled with interest from Denver and elsewhere.

11:45am: After yet another disastrous performance in front of a national audience, Nathaniel Hackett‘s time in Denver is coming to an end. The first-year head coach has been fired by the Broncos, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the decision.

Hackett has become just the fifth coach in league history to have his first season as a bench boss come to an end before the campaign is completed. Denver sits a 4-11 on the year after yesterday’s 51-14 loss to the shorthanded Rams. That qualifies them as one of, if not the largest disappointments in the league considering the expectations surrounding the team heading into the fall.

Hackett was hired with the intention of reviving the Broncos’ offense, a unit which was seen as by far the weak point on an otherwise capable team. That, coupled with the trade for, and extension of, quarterback Russell Wilson, was presumed to put the organization on a path to success on both sides of the ball. Instead, the team ranks dead last in the NFL with an average of just 15.5 points per game. Improvement has generally not been seen even after Hackett ceded play-calling duties to QBs coach Klint Kubiak in November.

As offensive struggles (including several shockingly poor performances by Wilson), injuries and a lack of consistency continued to pile up, expectations grew over the passing weeks that Hackett would be let go at some point. The matter of whether or not he would be fired before the end of the campaign was a matter of debate, but questions on that subject have now been answered. Denver will now join the Panthers and Colts in their search for a long-term replacement.

A statement from team owner Greg Penner reads in part, “We sincerely appreciate Nathaniel’s efforts and wish him and his family all the best in the future. Following extensive conversations with [GM] George [Paton] and our ownership group, we determined a new direction would ultimately be in the best interest of the Broncos… We recognize and appreciate this organization’s championship history, and we understand we have not met that standard.

“Moving forward, we will carefully evaluate every aspect of our football operations and make whatever changes are necessary to restore this franchise’s winning tradition. I will lead our head coaching search with support from our ownership group and George, whom I have confidence in as our general manager.”

That final sentence is noteworthy, as Paton has drawn sharp criticism this season for his role in the decisions to hire Hackett and acquire Wilson. Conflicting reports have emerged recently regarding whether or not Paton’s tenure would be cut short after only two seasons at the helm in the Mile High City. A public vote of confidence from the team’s new ownership group bodes well for his job security in at least the short-term future.

Nevertheless, Paton and the rest of the Broncos’ front office will be under intense scrutiny in the coming months as they look to undo the damage caused by Hackett’s hiring. Wilson is under contract through 2028 as a result of the mega-extension he signed before making his regular season debut with Denver this fall, so he is tied to the franchise for years to come. That, along with coaching uncertainty for the second straight offseason will leave a significant stain on the 2022 season for the Broncos, the sixth straight in which they have produced a losing record.

Hackett, meanwhile, is unlikely to find himself on the head coaching radar anytime soon. The total inability of the Broncos to find consistency on offense in particular and build any momentum during the season suggests he is best suited as an offensive coordinator, the role he held for eight total years with the Bills, Jaguars and Packers before taking the Denver gig this offseason.

Broncos Likely To Fire Nathaniel Hackett Before Season’s End?

December 4th, 2022 at 7:37am CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 4: Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports hears that an in-season firing is unlikely. Jones observes that Hackett has not lost the support of his locker room, and while he will need to win a few games down the stretch to have a chance to keep his job, the Broncos’ new ownership appears willing to give him that opportunity.

NOVEMBER 29: After the warning signs that emerged during Nathaniel Hackett‘s Week 1 outing, the first-year Broncos HC has not recovered. One-and-done rumors have engulfed him for several weeks. The Broncos enter Week 13 with one of the worst scoring offenses in recent NFL history.

The team is riding its second three-game losing streak, with this one including losses to the sub-.500 Raiders and Panthers, and is averaging 14.3 points per game. Although six more games remain, the Broncos continuing on this pace would group them with the 2018 Cardinals, 2016 Rams and 2012 Chiefs. No other team has averaged fewer 14.3 points per game over the past decade. These three organizations canned their head coaches — Steve Wilks, Jeff Fisher and Romeo Crennel, respectively — during or after those seasons.

This stunning season will almost certainly lead to Hackett’s ouster, and execs informed Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post it is likely Hackett will be canned before season’s end. This could give the Broncos a chance to evaluate Ejiro Evero as an interim coach, potentially with an eye on the first-time defensive coordinator sticking around beyond 2022.

The Broncos have Evero on their radar as a potential Hackett replacement, though it would be rather strange if the team that has underwhelmed to this degree went with a current staffer to replace Hackett. Evero and Hackett have been close since being college teammates 20-plus years ago, but the former has been a well-regarded assistant as well. Evero, 41, spent the past five seasons on Sean McVay‘s Rams staff and has helmed a Broncos defense that has kept the team in most of its games. Denver ranks third in total defense and points allowed.

Hackett has both brought in a game management assistant after several September gaffes — highlighted by the bizarre decision to settle for a 64-yard field goal in Week 1 — and turned over play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak. The Broncos have failed to score 17 points since making the latter change. The team, which has been without several offensive starters in recent weeks, also leads the league in penalties.

While 13 teams this century have fired a coach after one season, only the Jaguars last year axed their first-year HC during the season. (Bobby Petrino did not finish his first Falcons campaign, but that situation involved the former college coach accepting an Arkansas offer in December 2007.) Jacksonville fired Urban Meyer on Dec. 16, 2021, 13 games into his season. It would be strange to see Hackett grouped with Meyer, whose scandal-filled Jags tenure led to the early ouster, but the Broncos traded a bounty for Russell Wilson and have somehow declined considerably on offense.

Denver had Kevin O’Connell and Dan Quinn as its other HC finalists this year, and La Canfora adds GM George Paton‘s ties to Quinn may keep him in the mix. Quinn was an early frontrunner for the Denver HC post, but Hackett emerged instead. It would be interesting to see if the Cowboys DC would go through another interview process with a team that passed on him so recently. But it is a near-certainty at this point another Broncos coaching search — under new ownership — will commence in 2023.

Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett Cedes Play-Calling Duties To Klint Kubiak

November 20th, 2022 at 7:36am CST by Rory Parks

About a month after he said he would continue to call offensive plays, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett has had a change of heart. Per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, Hackett is ceding play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak.

Denver’s 3-6 record qualifies as one of the league’s biggest disappointments in 2022, as the team made a blockbuster offseason trade to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson and entered the campaign with Super Bowl aspirations. Early-season missteps earned Hackett, a first-year head coach, plenty of criticism and compelled him to hire Jerry Rosburg out of retirement to assist with gameday management. But mounting injuries and persistent offensive struggles have conspired to keep the Broncos out of the playoff picture, and now Kubiak will have a larger role in the club’s efforts to make a second-half run.

Kubiak, 35, is the son of longtime NFL offensive coordinator and head coach Gary Kubiak. In 2021, the younger Kubiak served as the play-caller and OC for the Vikings, who finished 12th in the league in total offense and 14th in yards per game. Per Pelissero, that experience is what prompted Hackett to tab Klint Kubiak as Denver’s new play-caller, and both men, along with offensive coordinator Justin Outten, will be heavily involved in game-planning. Hackett and Outten will of course remain on the headset during games, though Kubiak will now be the primary voice in Wilson’s ear.

Pelissero adds that Wilson and Kubiak have formed a strong relationship despite the team’s struggles. However, they will have their work cut out for them, as the Broncos have 15 players on injured reserve, including key offensive contributors like left tackle Garett Bolles and running back Javonte Williams. Moreover, receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler will miss Sunday’s contest against the Raiders due to injury.

As of the time of this writing, Denver is last in the league in points per game, and Wilson has completed a career-worst 57.4% of his passes en route to a poor 81.4 QB rating. On the other hand, the Broncos are in the middle of the pack in terms of total offense, so there is some hope that a different play-calling approach will put more points on the board. And although the deadline trade of pass rusher Bradley Chubb will sting, the team is tops in the NFL in scoring defense, second in total defense, and its six losses have come by an average of five points. All of that provides further hope for a turnaround.

Hackett really had no choice but to make this move. Rumors are already swirling that he may be a one-and-done head coach, and the Rosburg hire, along with the pivot to Kubiak as play-caller, at least demonstrates that he is willing to put ego aside for the betterment of the team. Last year, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni ceded play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Shane Steichen in the middle of the season, and Philadelphia’s offense was much-improved after the switch. In 2022, the 8-1 Eagles continue to thrive, so there is recent precedent for Hackett and Broncos fans to dream on.

Coaching Rumors: Colts, Broncos, Reich

November 17th, 2022 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jeff Saturday is now overseeing a staff full of Frank Reich assistants, but the surprising Colts HC hire is not currently looking to add any new personnel to his staff for this audition. Rumors of Jim Irsay‘s Saturday hire frustrating current Colts staffers surfaced last week, and while Saturday bucking the recent trend by seeing his interim tag turn into a full-time post would likely mean a host of new assistants in 2023, Reich’s group will be the one in place for the rest of this season.

“I like the group; I like the support they give each other. They’re in clearly defined roles,” Saturday said. “And I’m happy with where they are. Bringing somebody in, trying to learn an entire process or how we’ve done things? I like where the guys are, so I don’t anticipate that. I’m not guaranteeing it, but in my head I haven’t even had a chance to get that far. I’m just trying to get Week 2 under my belt.”

Saturday stopping short of shutting down the prospect of outside staffers coming in is interesting, but considering how off the board his hire was, it would not surprise to see the new Colts HC consider bringing in some staffers while he is in charge. Here is the latest from the coaching scene:

Scott Milanovich confirmed recent reports he turned down an opportunity to be the Colts’ play-caller. The veteran assistant, who is in his second season as Indianapolis’ quarterbacks coach, said (via The Athletic’s Zak Keefer, on Twitter) “Ultimately, it just wasn’t the right situation, I don’t think, for me at the time and the and the team.” Milanovich called plays in the CFL and as an interim OC with the Jaguars four years ago. Both he and running backs coach Scottie Montgomery are set to be involved with game-planning going forward, but assistant QBs coach Parks Frazier will be the voice in Matt Ryan‘s helmet going forward.
The OC Milanovich succeeded in Jacksonville in 2018, Nathaniel Hackett continues to oversee a disappointing Broncos season. After picking up a win in London, Denver reverted to its pattern of sluggish second halves in Tennessee. Although injuries have steadily depleted Hackett’s offense, the unit is averaging a league-low 14.6 points per game and also struggled when more of its starters were healthy. Some of George Paton‘s peers are advocating for the second-year GM to be proactive with this coaching situation, per Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, to better ensure he will stay on the job. Hackett hit the one-and-done radar stunningly early, but Paton’s status has not come up as much. Like Hackett, Paton was hired before the team’s new ownership arrived. While Paton has fared well in key aspects since taking the job in 2021, the Hackett-Russell Wilson partnership not working out has undoubtedly affected his perception.
Nick Sirianni spent three seasons as the Colts’ OC and worked with Frank Reich with the Chargers as well. The current Eagles HC did not shoot down the idea of Reich joining Philly’s staff, likely in a consultant-type role, via EJ Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer. This would not only make sense for Sirianni, but Reich had a rather notable Eagles stay previously, being the OC on staff during the Birds’ Super Bowl LII-winning campaign.
Former Cardinals running backs coach James Saxon pleaded guilty to a domestic battery charge stemming from a May incident, according to ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss, who adds the longtime NFL staffer received a suspended one-year prison sentence. An Indiana judge instead gave Saxon, 56, one year of probation. The Cardinals placed Saxon on administrative leave in August; he resigned from the team last month. Saxon, who was on Kliff Kingsbury‘s staff since 2019, spent 23 years as an NFL assistant.

Broncos Owner Greg Penner Echoes Nathaniel Hackett Support

October 28th, 2022 at 7:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Sunday’s game in London will provide Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett with another opportunity to quell concerns about his job status. General manager George Paton spoke in favor of keeping the rookie HC in his post yesterday; one of the team’s owners echoed that sentiment when speaking publicly today.

“I support Nathaniel and really want to see him succeed,” Greg Penner said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “He’s a first-time head coach. There’s a lot of new things to get in place… But he knows we’re not performing at the level we expect, but we’ve got high expectations for him in the second half.”

Penner, the Broncos’ CEO and a member of the Rob Walton-led group which purchased the team this summer, inherited Hackett as head coach. The 42-year-old has led an offense which has been severely underwhelming to date, and ranks last in the league in scoring. At 2-5, Denver has frequently been named as a potential seller at the trade deadline – a stark contrast to preseason expectations which counted the team among the AFC’s contenders.

Much of the increase in optimism was tied, of course, to the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson. Before his regular season debut, a long-term deal had been agreed upon; Penner played a role in authorizing that $245MM extension. As he did with Hackett, the latter expressed confidence in a resurgence during the second half of the 2022 season when asked about the maligned passer.

“Russell’s won a lot of games in the NFL,” Penner said. “Russell knows how to win. The specifics on the contract area, that’s a place where I do rely on George and his expertise. I think he is going to be a great quarterback for us.”

While Penner declined to give a full vote of confidence to Hackett for the remainder of the season – a change in offensive play-caller has been thought to be on the table recently – his public support of the status quo on the sidelines is noteworthy. The team’s performance on Sunday against the Jaguars could go a long way in determining how much of an appetite exists for changes affecting both the roster and coaching staff from the new personnel at the top of the organization.

George Paton On Nathaniel Hackett Status, Russell Wilson Extension

October 27th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Sam Robinson

Nathaniel Hackett‘s first seven games as Broncos head coach have generated considerable attention. The ex-Packers OC’s 32nd-ranked scoring offense has produced eye-popping numbers in third-quarter scoring (three points) and red zone production (23% touchdown rate), leading to Denver’s unexpected 2-5 start.

Questions about Hackett even finishing his first season have surfaced, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes league chatter has placed the Broncos’ London game as a possible do-or-die spot for the embattled HC. While Graziano expressed skepticism on the prospect the Broncos would fire a first-year coach after eight games, GM George Paton doubled down on his Hackett support.

“I believe in Nathaniel,” Paton said. “I support Nathaniel 100%. He’s been in this seven games as a head coach. The scrutiny he’s faced is unprecedented. We’ve had four primetime games, so he’s kind of had to learn in front of the entire world. But I really like how he’s kept the team together. They’re connected. He’s kept our building together, and I appreciate how he’s fought through that.”

It is obviously arguable the Broncos are not “through” anything just yet, having lost four straight games and having failed to score more than one touchdown in all but one contest (a Week 4 loss to the Raiders). Denver’s 100 points through seven games double as the franchise’s worst at this point in a season since 1966. Hackett encountered unusual game management issues in Weeks 1 and 2, leading to the hire of assistant Jerry Rosburg, and his team leads the NFL in penalties (58).

Hackett, 42, said he is keeping the status quo for this week’s game against the Jaguars, but Graziano notes staff adjustments or role reassignments may be in play if the Broncos cannot beat the 2-5 Jaguars in England. That could include ceding play-calling responsibilities, as the Broncos continue to generate listless second halves under a coach brought in to jumpstart an offense.

That said, the Broncos have dealt with injuries to many top players. And starters Garett Bolles, Javonte Williams, Tim Patrick and Ronald Darby are out for the season. But Hackett is on the one-and-done radar, given how his team has performed relative to expectations.

The other scrutinized presence during this start, Russell Wilson, is on track to return in Week 8. The Broncos acquired Wilson when he was tied to a Seahawks-constructed contract that ran through 2023. The team extended the 33-year-old passer — on a five-year, $245MM deal with $124MM fully guaranteed — in order to beat a market that stands to see the $50MM-per-year barrier crossed by multiple passers come 2023.

“We wanted to get ahead of the contract cycle. We had seen how Russ was in the offseason and training camp and we felt really good about Russ. We feel really good about Russ,” Paton said, via 9News’ Mike Klis (on Twitter). “We didn’t want a lot of distraction during the season. We feel really good about it. I feel good about that deal. I feel like it will hold up. I feel good about Russ.”

After nine Pro Bowl seasons in Seattle, Wilson has not transitioned to Hackett’s offense well. He sits 29th in QBR. Even during a 2020 season in which his play tailed off after a hot start and a 2021 campaign that produced post-injury struggles, Wilson placed in the top 10.

The Seahawks did not want to proceed with a third round of Wilson extension negotiations, and select staffers with the NFC West team viewed its former franchise centerpiece as a player in relative decline. Wilson’s age does not support this just yet, but his play in Hackett’s offense has certainly sounded alarm bells.

The Seahawks also expressed doubt about Wilson’s willingness to keep using his legs. Attempts by the likely Hall of Fame-bound player to run have been fairly scarce, and Wilson has cited scrambles against the Raiders and Chargers as the reasons for his shoulder and hamstring injuries, respectively. Operating more as a pure dropback passer in Denver, Wilson is viewed by some as unwilling to play the way he did for much of his Seattle stay, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Wilson’s elusiveness helped the Broncos mount a game-winning drive against the 49ers this season, but the NFL’s No. 4 all-time quarterback rusher (96 yards this season) has largely drifted away from that style over the past two years.

“I am not concerned,” Paton said (via Denver7’s Troy Renck) when asked if Wilson is already showing decline signs. “We are in it for the long haul with Russ, not just the first seven games. We believe in Russ; I believe in Russ. We just need to play better on offense, the timing the rhythm. We need an identity. We really don’t have an identity with offense. I think that comes with time. And hopefully it comes soon.

“He’s trying to learn the staff, the staff’s trying to learn him and all of our players. We know what Russ is capable of. It’s our job to get the best out of Russ and our entire offense. I know we’ll get there. You’ve seen the flashes with Russ, whether it was the first half of the Raiders [game], the first half of the Chargers [game]. You see the arm strength, the accuracy, the mobility.”

Nathaniel Hackett Not Planning To Cede Play-Calling Duties

October 25th, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Nathaniel Hackett‘s offense submitted another second-half dud against the Jets, extending the Broncos’ losing streak to four and increasing the temperature on the first-year coach’s unexpectedly hot seat.

The Broncos’ 16-9 loss leaves them with 100 points. That is not only the NFL’s basement mark, counting the teams that have had their bye week, it is, per The Athletic, the lowest seven-game Denver total since 1966. Considering the Broncos’ struggles during that period and much of the 1970s, the statistics keep looking worse for Hackett, a veteran offensive coordinator hired to repair Denver’s long-anemic attack.

Although this Broncos edition’s 14.3 points per game is well behind Pat Shurmur‘s 2021 offense (19.7, 23rd) — a unit that largely led to Vic Fangio‘s firing — Hackett is not considering ceding his play-calling responsibilities or making staff changes at this point.

“Right now, on a short week, we’re going to keep the status quo. We’re all going to work together to build a great plan,” Hackett said, via Denver7’s Troy Renck. “I feel like our operation has been going well. We held the ball for a long time, and we moved the ball; we just didn’t convert on some third downs. That kind of stalled us, but we’re going to keep going how we are, and we’ll evaluate everything; we always do.”

Latavius Murray‘s 2-yard touchdown run Sunday gave the Broncos a rare red zone TD, but Hackett’s offense still ranks 32nd in red zone TD rate (23.5%). Only one other team (Seattle) is scoring TDs at a sub-42% clip in the red area. The Broncos have also struggled each week in third quarters; their offense has accounted for just three third-stanza points this season. These figures have helped lead to rampant scrutiny on Hackett and Russell Wilson, who is tracking toward a Week 8 return from his hamstring injury after missing just his fourth career contest Sunday. Although Hackett’s game management struggles have calmed down since the late-September hire of Jerry Rosburg, Denver’s 58 penalties also lead the NFL.

Hackett, 42, has called plays for three teams — the Bills, Jaguars and now the Broncos — but hired a first-time OC (Justin Outten). Denver has Klint Kubiak installed as its quarterbacks coach. Also a second-generation coach, Kubiak, 35, has called plays previously but only for one season (with the 2021 Vikings).

Hackett’s 2017 Jacksonville squad ranked fifth in scoring, but the second-generation NFL play-caller did not produce another top-half scoring finish during his five-season run calling plays in Buffalo and Jacksonville. The Jags ousted Hackett during the 2018 season, leading him to Green Bay as a non-play-calling OC. Hackett’s Packers stay led to four teams — the Bears, Jags, Vikings and Broncos — interviewing him for HC jobs this year. The Broncos hired Hackett over finalists Kevin O’Connell and Dan Quinn.

Thirteen coaches have been one-and-dones since 2000. Urban Meyer is the only one not to finish out his first season. It would be somewhat surprising if Hackett followed Meyer’s lead, given the fusillade of scandals that led to Shad Khan firing Meyer. But Hackett’s prospects at making it through his first season became a talking point around the league before the Broncos’ losses to the Chargers and Jets. And Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk posits Denver’s London assignment and Week 9 bye leaves new ownership — not in place for Hackett’s hire — a reboot window. If the Jaguars continue the pattern of the Broncos’ offense being neutralized after halftime, speculation about Hackett not finishing the season will intensify. For now, however, the team will try its scuffling formula in London.

Latest On Nathaniel Hackett’s Job Status

October 15th, 2022 at 12:45pm CST by Ben Levine

League executives are starting to wonder how long the Broncos will tolerate Nathaniel Hackett‘s growing pains. Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post spoke with NFL executives, evaluators, and coaches, with many “paint[ing] a bleak picture” of Denver’s outlook with Hackett at the helm. The head coach’s “ability to survive his first season on the job” is being discussed around the NFL, per La Canfora.

Many of the sources attribute Denver’s coaching issues to inexperience. One anonymous GM went as far as to wonder if GM George Paton may be the one to pull the plug. The team’s new ownership wasn’t responsible for hiring the current head coach/general manage pairing, and if Paton wants to save his own job, he may look to admit his mistake sooner than later.

“I hate to say it, because it’s only six weeks,” the anonymous GM told La Canfora, “but [Paton] needs to start separating himself from the coach. I like George a lot, and that’s what my advice to him would be. Keep trying to give [Hackett] help, if he’ll take it, but you also may have to be willing to admit it was a mistake far sooner than you ever imagined. This owner didn’t hire either of them. You have to be careful how hard you fight to prove this can work, because it’s been a disaster so far. And if you aren’t careful, you’re going to get fired, too.”

Before firing Hackett, there’s a chance that the organization could try to remedy the situation. Some of the sources suggested bringing in an outside consultant, with many pointing to the inexperience of the coaching staff. As La Canfora notes, Dom Capers and Jerry Rosburg are the lone experienced coaches on the staff, and the writer even suggests that the team could look to bring in Gary Kubiak as an adviser or even as interim head coach. Kubiak’s son, Klint Kubiak, is the team’s quarterbacks coach.

Still, no matter how much experience the Broncos add to the coaching staff, it still might not be enough. One executive told La Canfora that Hackett doesn’t look like he’s ready to be a head coach.

“Unless something changes quickly, I don’t think he gets through the year,” the executive said. “It looks too big for him. It looks too fast for him. The red-zone play-calling has been awful. I don’t see enough adjustments being made.”

Of course, part of the team’s issues could also be attributed to quarterback Russell Wilson, who also drew criticism from the personnel that was polled by La Canfora. Even with Wilson’s underwhelming play, many still believe he isn’t being put in a position to succeed, with La Canfora pointing to the team’s lack of RPOs and motion.

“Some of that is on the quarterback, certainly,” a GM said, “but they don’t seem to have a lot of ideas when the field gets tight, and I don’t think they have the right people in that building now to fix it.”

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