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Nathaniel Hackett is out in Denver. What’s next for the Broncos?
Massive preseason expectations have come crashing down around the Denver Broncos. After trading for Russell Wilson, and signing him to a big contract extension, the Broncos were one of the first teams to be eliminated from playoff contention.
And now head coach Nathaniel Hackett has paid the price.
The Broncos fired Hackett the day after an embarrassing 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, a team that was already eliminated from playoff contention and starting Baker Mayfield at quarterback, signed just weeks ago. Wilson threw three interceptions in the loss, and tempers flared on the sidelines between backup quarterback Brett Rypien and offensive lineman Dalton Risner.
Despite his pedigree as an offensive-minded coach, Hackett’s offense in Denver struggled to maintain any consistency in both the passing game, and the running game. Wilson has completed 60.1% of his passes for 3,019 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, along with 9 interceptions. His Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt of 5.39 ranks him 24th in the NFL, behind illustrious passers such as Mac Jones, Marcus Mariota, Taylor Heinicke, and Jacoby Brissett.
As you can see from this chart from RBSDM.com, which depicts both Expected Points Added and Completion Percentage Over Expectation, Wilson’s play this season puts him firmly in the lower-left quadrant, below league average in both metrics:
The team released a statement that indicates that general manager George Paton is safe, and will be part of the process moving forward:
Hackett’s tenure was on rocky ground seemingly from the first week of the season. The Broncos lost in Week 1 to the Seattle Seahawks, when Hackett struggled to manage the clock, and the team ended up settling for a 64-yard field goal attempt to win the game as a result. The kick was no good, and Hackett began his NFL career with a loss.
Clock management issues were a problem in Week 2, in Denver’s home opener against the Houston Texans. While the Broncos won that game, and their Week 3 meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, their issues handling the game clock led to the team adding longtime coach Jerry Rosburg to help with in-game clock management.
Prior to Sunday’s loss to the Rams, a previous low point was a Thursday night, overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts. That performance was so bad that Broncos fans left in regulation, even knowing the team could potentially win in overtime. Wilson threw a pair of interceptions in that game, and the offense failed to reach the end zone.
Sunday might have proven to be the final straw. Not only were the Broncos embarrassed on national television, but the image of Rypien and Risner getting into a shoving match on the sideline left the impression of a team drifting without leadership. Whether true or not — and both players downplayed the incident after the game as a misunderstanding — sometimes visuals are powerful.
Plus, with a new ownership group in place, you can understand the desire to move in a different direction.
How do the Broncos turn things around? There is talent on both sides of the ball, and their defense remains one of the best in the NFL, despite what Mayfield and the Rams were able to do in the passing game on Sunday. The biggest question? Getting improved play from the quarterback position.
Which is what the Broncos thought they were doing when they traded for Wilson in the first place.
But given his contract, Denver is likely tied to Wilson through at least the 2024 season. The first order of business for the next coaching staff is finding a way, any way, to get more out of Wilson as long as he remains in a Broncos’ uniform.
Some candidates to replace Hackett for the 2023 season? Many of the more intriguing names are on the defensive side of the ball during this coaching cycle. DeMeco Ryans, the defensive coordinator for the 49ers, is getting a lot of attention due to what he has built in San Francisco the past few seasons. Dan Quinn is another intriguing name, for what he as done down in Dallas with the Cowboys. Denver could also look internally on the defensive side of the ball, as Ejiro Evero, their defensive coordinator, is certain to get some interviews this cycle.
There are even more current defensive coordinators who deserve a look during the next hiring cycle. Leslie Frazier of the Buffalo Bills and Lou Anarumo of the Cincinnati Bengals are names to consider. Then there is Steve Wilks, who was named the interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers after the team fired Matt Rhule. Wilks was the Panthers defensive passing game coordinator & secondary coach before being named the interim head coach, and what he has down in that role should be enough for the interim tag to be removed this offseason. But if the Panthers go in a different direction, he is a name to watch.
Given their struggles on offense, one could anticipate the Broncos going with another offensive-minded head coach. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is getting a lot of attention given what he has done for Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. The same goes for Shane Steichen of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Then there is Frank Reich, who was let go by the Indianapolis Colts earlier this season. While things did not work out between Reich and Carson Wentz last season, or with Reich and Matt Ryan this year, perhaps the third time is a charm?
Finally, the big name in coaching circles right now is that of Sean Payton. After stepping away from the New Orleans Saints, Payton’s desire to get back into coaching is well known. Drew Brees was able to play at a high level deep into his career under Payton, perhaps the coach could work similar magic in Denver for Wilson.
