GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 24: Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett of the Green Bay Packers watches the action before a game against the Washington Football Team at Lambeau Field on October 24, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Should the Green Bay Packers bring back recently fired Denver Broncos former offensive coordinator and head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Here are the pros and cons of a meeting.
Last offseason, the Green Bay Packers experienced turnover not only at the roaster level, but also at the level of Matt LaFleur’s coaching staff. One of the big departures was that of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who was hired by the Denver Broncos to be their next head coach. Given his success in the NFL, it was expected that he could take the Broncos to the next level, especially with quarterback Russell Wilson.
Instead, Denver is the league-lowest scoring offense after Week 16 (15.5 points per game). Then the team suffered an embarrassing 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day, which was not only a blow, but saw offensive lineman Dalton Risner shove the quarterback substitute Brett Rypien on the sideline and linebacker Randy Gregory throwing punches after the game.
With a 4-11 record, Hackett was fired by the Broncos on Monday, becoming the fifth head coach to be fired in his first season.
With Hackett now available, talk of a return to the Packers has increased whether or not it actually happens. Here are the pros and cons of a meeting between the Packers and Hackett.
The benefits of a Packers comeback with Nathaniel Hackett
Well, it’s hard to look past what the Packers were able to do with Hackett coaching the offense during his time with the team. Let’s take a look at the team’s offensive production during the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons with Hackett at their helm (via ESPN):
- 2019 season: 345.5 offensive yards per game (18th in NFL), 23.5 points per game (15th).
- 2020 season: 389.0 offensive yards per game (5th in NFL), 31.8 points per game (1st).
- 2021 season: 365.6 offensive yards per game (10th in NFL), 26.5 points per game (10th)
Compare those offensive stats to Green Bay’s 342.6 offensive yards per game (16th) and 20.9 points per game (18th) through 16 weeks this season. Yes, the team is without star receiver Davante Adams after trading him to the Las Vegas Raiders last season. But, it’s hard to look at those numbers, especially for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and not wonder if Hackett could help turn things around, even if he’s not the offensive coordinator.
Then there’s the Aaron Rodgers effect. Rodgers spoke highly of Hackett during their time together. If the Packers plan to keep moving forward with Rodgers as the starting quarterback, could he vouch for bringing Hackett back? Let’s not forget that Rodgers won the NFL MVP award in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, where Hackett was his coordinator.
Following : The downsides of a Packers comeback with Nathaniel Hackett