The ride is over for Nathaniel Hackett after just 15 games in Broncos Country.
The Denver Broncos dismissed their first-year head coach Monday after a 51-14 Christmas Day drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. It marks the end of a disastrous first season in Denver for quarterback Russell Wilson. The Broncos had a 4-11 record under Hackett.
The Broncos traded a package of three players and five draft picks to acquire the former Pro Bowler from the Seattle Seahawks in the spring and then gave Wilson a lucrative contract extension before the season started with the belief that he would solve Denver’s long-term quarterback woes. Instead, Wilson regressed to one of the worst signal-callers in the league and drew criticism for his off-field quirks as well as open disdain from former teammates.
Hackett was hired by the Broncos after a successful stint as Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator. In Green Bay, Hackett was credited with helping Aaron Rodgers achieve back-to-back MVP seasons. But as Denver’s head coach, he drew heavy criticism for game management decisions and play-calling, such as his decision to attempt a 64-yard field goal in the closing seconds of Denver’s 17-16 Week 1 loss to Seattle.
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Wilson’s extension means the Broncos are likely tied to him for at least one more year, as they would be on the hook for $107 million of dead salary cap money if they tried to release him before the 2023 season. The Broncos’ new ownership group along with president of football operations John Elway and general manager George Paton have a Herculean task ahead of them. They must find a new coach who can revitalize Wilson’s career and help him reclaim some semblance of the play-making skill that he showed in Seattle.
Who could the Broncos turn to? FOX Bet has hypothetical odds on who could be the next head coach in Denver.
ODDS ON BRONCOS’ NEXT HEAD COACH*
- Frank Reich: +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
- Dan Quinn: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
- Sean Payton: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
- Shane Steichen: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
- DeMeco Ryans: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
- Ejiro Evero: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
- Eric Bienemy: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
- David Shaw: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
- Jonathan Gannon: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
- Jim Harbaugh: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
- Leslie Frazier: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
- Steve Wilks: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
*Odds as of 12/27/2022
Reich, the former Indianapolis Colts head coach, seems like a solid fit on paper. He has a long track record of getting the most out of veteran quarterbacks. When he was the Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator during the 2017 season, Carson Wentz had a career-best year and backup Nick Foles led the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl championship.
Reich then helped Andrew Luck return to form in Indianapolis before Luck’s shocking retirement in 2019. With Philip Rivers under center in 2020, Reich helped get the Colts back to the playoffs. But a reunion with Wentz in 2021 and an attempted partnership with Matt Ryan in 2022 both failed to pan out, and Reich was fired midseason.
Quinn could also be an intriguing fit. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach and current Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator won a Super Bowl with Wilson in Seattle as Seahawks defensive coordinator. Reports have surfaced that Quinn could bring along Brian Schottenheimer, Wilson’s former offensive coordinator in Seattle, with him to Denver.
Aside from former New Orleans Saints head coach and current NFL on FOX analyst Sean Payton, the rest of the top names on the list include some of the most successful NFL coordinators from the 2022 season.
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Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon both have their fingerprints on the Eagles’ league-best 13-2 record. The San Francisco 49ers have the best defense in the NFL by several metrics under coordinator DeMeco Ryans.
The Broncos have also performed well on the defensive side of the ball in 2022 under coordinator Ejiro Evero. But Evero reportedly turned down the interim head coaching job after Hackett’s firing, leading to speculation that he may try to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Eric Bienemy is enjoying another strong year with Patrick Mahomes. However, it’s worth wondering whether the longtime Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator would give up working with Mahomes in the prime of his career to try to rehabilitate Wilson instead.
Who do you think lands the Broncos head coaching job? Stay tuned to FOX Sports as the story unfolds!
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