An embarrassing loss in front of a national television audience on Christmas day was the last straw for Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett, finally.
What started as a promising journey with one of the NFL’s top young offensive minds just a few months ago has ended in miserable fashion as the Denver Broncos have fired Nathaniel Hackett before he even got through his first full season as the team’s head coach.
He becomes the first coach in team history to be fired during his first season.
It was a disaster right out of the gate for this team as Hackett never seemed to be completely comfortable with what he was doing as the team’s leader. The incredibly bad play of Russell Wilson combined with his poor game management skills were likely huge factors in this decision.
But being blown out 51-14 by a 4-10 Los Angeles Rams team on Sunday was all the front office could take, apparently. Not only was it the worst loss suffered by the Broncos since 2012, but there was also an argument on the sidelines between Dalton Risner and Brett Rypien and Randy Gregory threw a punch at a Rams player following the game.
It was ugly and the Broncos looked like a team that had quit.
For much of the season, the argument could be made that the team was still playing for Hackett. That argument no longer exists following the 37-point Christmas day drubbing.
With the loss, the Broncos drop to 4-11 in what is arguably the worst season in the history of the franchise. The team will soon announce an interim coach to lead the team for the remainder of the season, with defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero being the likely candidate for that spot.
The Broncos will finish the season with games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. The search for a new head coach begins now.