It appears that the Denver Broncos made a major mistake in hiring Nathaniel Hackett as head coach.
After the team went through disastrous coaching tenures in Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio, it was hard to imagine how the Broncos could find a worse head coach. To this point, Nathaniel Hackett has been decidedly worse.
But there are going to be reasons Hackett will have in pleading for his job, starting with how poorly Russell Wilson has played, though that could be a result of Hackett’s system as much as anything else. But then there is the argument of the team having so many injuries while also trying to adjust to a new coaching staff and a new system.
It takes more than one season to get it all right, many will argue.
Teams are not going to be eager to fire a coach after just one season. They will have to admit to making a major blunder. In this case, general manager George Paton would have to admit to making a horrible hire despite interviewing at least 10 candidates for the position.
However, should the Broncos retain Hackett, none of those will be the main reason why. Instead, Hackett would be kept on simply because the team may not be able to find a better option in 2023.
Who are the candidates going to be?
Frank Reich? If he is looking to get back into coaching, he may want a position that is far more secure than this one.
Dan Quinn? Why would he leave Dallas, where he is running one of the league’s best defenses, to come to Denver and try to fix this mess? The Cowboys will be willing to pay him handsomely too.
The Broncos are going to need an experienced head coach to come in and help right the ship, so guys like Ken Dorsey, DeMeco Ryans and Shane Steichen may not be great choices. They may end up just as bad as Hackett.
What about Sean Payton?
Why on Earth would Payton, who could have his pick of teams, choose the Broncos? Even if he did, there would be a compensation issue there as the New Orleans Saints will be owed for his services.
The Broncos were once one of the most successful franchises in the league. Coaches would have been lining up to take the job. But now, the job may be seen by candidates as radioactive and no one is going to be jumping up and down to take this job.
The Broncos may not see an option that jumps off the list, particularly if they are going to make such a drastic move as to dismiss a coach after just one season.
For that reason, and perhaps that reason alone, we could get year two of Hackett in Denver.