Broncos fire coach Nathaniel Hackett

Nathaniel Hackett’s disappointing season in Denver has come to an end.

The Broncos fired the first-year head coach on Monday, according to a statement from team owner and CEO Greg Penner. 

Hackett leaves Denver with a 4-11 record after a 51-14 beatdown by the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. 

The Broncos hired Hackett in January to be the franchise’s 18th head coach after he served three seasons (2019-2021) in Green Bay as the Packers’ offensive coordinator. Hackett also held OC jobs in Jacksonville (2016–2018) and Buffalo (2013–2014).

Despite Hackett’s experience as an offensive coordinator, he was ineffective at jumpstarting the Broncos offense. In his lone season in Denver, Hackett had some clock management and game management issues as well as an underperforming offense. The Broncos had the worst scoring offense in the NFL under Hackett, who also handed off play-calling duties in November.

Hackett was part of a big makeover in Denver. The Broncos acquired quarterback Russell Wilson in a massive trade with the Seattle Seahawks in March, subsequently signing Wilson to a five-year, $245 million contract extension in September.

Like Hackett, though, Wilson struggled mightily in his first season in the Mile High City. The 11-year veteran is on pace for single-season lows in both completion percentage (60.4%) and touchdown passes (11).

In August, the Broncos organization formally introduced their new ownership group led by Rob Walton and the Walton-Penner Family. General manager George Paton and the Walton-Penner family ownership group will now be charged with hiring a head coach to help try to turn the franchise around.

Denver hasn’t finished a season with a winning record since 2016. The franchise hasn’t reached the postseason since its Super Bowl run in the 2015 season.

Read more at usatoday.com