The Broncos fired Vance Joseph on Monday, and replaced the embattled coach with Nathaniel Hackett. Hackett comes from a coaching background in college football but has never been an NFL head coach before this season. “I’m excited to get going,” he said at his introductory press conference, adding that Denver’s offense needed attention after struggling during the previous two seasons under Joe Flacco and Mike McCoy
The “Broncos safety” is excited to get to work fixing the team’s offensive struggles. The new coach says he has a plan in place, and it will take time for the team to see results.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Nathaniel Hackett, the 18th head coach in club history, was officially presented Friday as the Denver Broncos’ 18th head coach in team history.
Hackett, who had been the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers for the previous three seasons, described his new job as “a dream.”
The Broncos have had one of the league’s most dependable and erratic offenses over the last six seasons, and have yet to make the playoffs.
“Any offensive you have needs to be adaptable to who you have on our squad,” Hackett said. “… You have to take shots down the field to have the defense cover the whole field.” Let’s face it, that’s what the audience wants to see. “I recall seeing John Elway… here is actually where this system originated and was formed,” says the narrator.
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Broncos general manager George Paton quickly debunked the notion that Hackett was recruited to give the Broncos a better chance of luring Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Denver if the three-time NFL MVP was available for trade in the coming months.
When questioned whether Rodgers had anything to do with Hackett’s hiring, Paton swiftly said, “Absolutely not.”
One of Hackett’s first priorities will be to resurrect an offense that has been among the league’s worst in recent years. Since 2014, the Broncos haven’t scored more than 23 points per game.
“These [playoff] offenses are dynamic, and we still have a long way to go.” On offense, we need to improve. Paton said, “We need to score a lot more points.” “We need to be more explosive… but we also need to improve on special teams, and we can’t afford to lose ground on defense.”
The Broncos have scored less than 20 points per game three times in the last six seasons, including 19.7 points per game in their 7-10 finish this year.
If Paton put an excitement clause in Hackett’s four-year contract, the new coach was on track to earn it all on Friday. Hackett and Paton will “start working” on player assessments and establishing a staff as soon as feasible, according to Hackett.
Paton and Hackett both said that the quarterback position will play a significant factor in the team’s roster negotiations in the coming weeks.
Since the halfway point of the 2016 season, the club has started 10 different quarterbacks (running back Phillip Lindsay also started under center in the no-quarterback game in 2020).
After their second interview with Hackett on Monday, the Broncos planned second interviews with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell this week. The remaining interviews were canceled following a long conversation with Hackett on Monday and a last meeting on Tuesday, and Hackett was hired.
“There was no point in continuing. Paton remarked, “I was sold.” “… We had a fantastic set of prospects to interview. [Hackett] and I spent a lot of time together. I was in the same boat as you. ‘What are we doing?’ I wondered as I spoke with the personnel and the leadership. This is the Denver Broncos’ quarterback.’
According to Hackett: “Right now, I feel like I’m in a dream. This is incredible…. It would be an understatement to say I’m ecstatic.”
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