Broncos fire Nathaniel Hackett following loss to Rams

We knew that the Denver Broncos were having a bad season since Week 1, when Nathaniel Hackett made the odd decision to try a 64-yard field goal with :20 seconds left rather than pick up a few extra yards before the attempt. The questions piled week after week as the Broncos added loss after loss, and following Denver’s 51-14 demolishing at the hands of the L.A. Rams on Christmas Day, the team has finally ended his tenure.

The Broncos fired Hackett on Monday, only 15 games into his tenure as an NFL head coach.

Not only does it mean that the Broncos could search for a head coach who is a Sean McVay disciple—defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero may or may not be ready, but he’s already in Denver—but Hackett could be a candidate to become McVay’s next offensive coordinator if the Rams part with Liam Coen.

Hackett and McVay barely missed working with each other on Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but may have friends in common, such as Gruden and Matt LaFleur. Hackett was offensive coordinator on the Buffalo Bills from 2013-2014, then on the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016-2018, then the Green Bay Packers from 2019-2021.

His tenure as an NFL head coach was historically disastrous, but his record as an offensive coordinator has some bright spots. With Aaron Rodgers, Hackett’s offense was typically the best in the NFL at protecting the football. That didn’t happen with the Broncos though, as Denver was picked off four times by the Rams defense on Monday.

Now Denver will be picking a new head coach.