Broncos fire Nathaniel Hackett, indicate confidence in George Paton
On Monday, the Denver Broncos announced that they fired Nathaniel Hackett after 15 games. They also indicated that they still trust George Paton in the recent coming from CEO Greg Penner.
We have parted ways with Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett.
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 26, 2022
A statement from Broncos Owner & CEO Greg Penner: pic.twitter.com/1tWMjHv6em
Perhaps some may think this is a bit of a shocking firing, as the team has just two games left in the regular season, and there was even some debate on whether or not Hackett should have been given another year with other offensive staff changes.
Well, all of that doesn’t matter anymore, as the team did what they should have done a while ago. Nathaniel Hackett is no longer employed with the Denver Broncos, and Hackett becomes just the fifth head coach since the 1970 merger to not make it out of his first year as a head coach.
So, for all intents and purposes, Hackett’s tenure was one of the absolute worst in the history of the NFL. Now, the Broncos will begin the process of bringing in a new head coach. An intense interview process will soon begin with the team likely conducting a more thorough search than they did the first time.
CEO Greg Penner’s statement is a generic one, but towards the end, he did express confidence in General Manager George Paton. Penner also noted that he, the rest of the ownership group and Paton will conduct the search, so maybe some of the faces that conducted this search last year will not be involved this time around.
The name that makes the most sense to this point is Frank Reich, who was recently fired as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. He comes with a strong offensive mind and a history of quarterback development, which is precisely what the team needs at this point.
Firing Hackett has officially turned the page on this error of an era. The 2022 season for the Broncos was a total waste and 2023 should “begin” the Russell Wilson era in Denver.