(Englewood) The Denver Broncos have named Nathaniel Hackett, who coordinated the Green Bay Packers offense, as head coach.
Posted yesterday at 7:51 p.m.
This revives rumors that the Broncos are trying to land star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and possibly star receiver Davante Adams, a Rodgers teammate with the Packers.
Rodgers said he is considering his future, including the possibility of retirement, after the Packers were eliminated early on Saturday. Ranked number one in the National Conference, the Packers suffered a 13-10 loss at home to 49ers of San Francisco in the second round of the playoffs.
Broncos general manager George Paton has interviewed 10 candidates to replace Vic Fangio, who was fired after a disappointing seven-in-17-game campaign. Suddenly, the Broncos missed the playoffs for the sixth straight year.
Paton eventually narrowed his list down to three candidates: Hackett, Dan Quinn, a former Atlanta Falcons head coach and current defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, and Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. Los Angeles Rams.
Quinn has sparked the most interest among teams looking for a new head coach, after he helped revive the Cowboys’ defensive unit in 2021. He was also seen as one of the favorites for the job in Denver because of his past ties to Paton.
By choosing Hackett, the Broncos will move away from their tendency to opt for more specialized defensive head coaches. Fangio had replaced Vance Joseph, a former tertiary lines instructor, in 2019.
In three seasons with Fangio in charge, the Broncos have posted a 19-30 overall record. His reign was marred by poor quarterback performances, a lack of creativity on offense with Pat Shurmur in the role of coordinator, and erratic performances from special teams, led by coach Tom McMahon. .
Since Peyton Manning retired six years ago, the Broncos have used 10 different starting quarterbacks and never made the playoffs.
They’ll likely be looking for a new point guard to take over from injured Teddy Bridgewater (7-7), who is set to test the free agent market in March, and Drew Lock (0-3).