Denver Broncos Hire Head Coach

The Denver Broncos became the first NFL team to officially hire a new head coach this offseason, and the choice may surprise some. While many thought Cowboys' defensive coordinator Dan Quinn may have been the favorite, the team has chosen Packers' offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

Quinn did tell teams he is staying with Dallas, but there is no real reason to believe Hackett wasn't a top choice.

Hackett was a college assistant and broke into the NFL in 2006 with Tampa Bay as a quality control assistant. He moved onto the same position with Buffalo in 2008 before returning to the college ranks in 2010 as passing game coordinator for Syracuse.

It was at Syracuse where Hackett worked for head coach Doug Marrone, and Marrone would bring Hackett with him to both the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars. When Jacksonville named Marrone its interim head coach in 2016, Hackett got his first chance as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.

Under Hackett, QB Blake Bortles had his best season, and RB Leonard Fournette blossomed as Jacksonville made it to the AFC Championship game. But the 2018 season starter poorly and Hackett was fired.

Matt LaFleur brought Hackett to Green Bay on his new coaching staff in 2019. Since that time, Hackett has gotten to learn from a high-end offensive coach and work with one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in Aaron Rodgers.

This past season, Green Bay's offense was top 10 in total yards, passing yards, and points per game. Denver has good weapons at receiver and running back but really needs a franchise quarterback. Hackett will have plenty of tools at his disposal, but you won't really be able to judge how well he is doing until that QB is there.