The worst head coach in the history of the Denver Broncos actually ended up helping turn the franchise around for the better. Maybe it's recency bias, but Nathaniel Hackett's tenure as the Broncos' head coach in the 2022 NFL Season was one to forget.
His tenure was so bad that he didn't make it out of his first season - he got fired during the 2022 season, and Hackett is still somehow coaching in the NFL, which goes to show you just how much people can accomplish just by having connections and knowing the right people.
Anyway, when you think about it, the Nathaniel Hackett era was so bad that it actually helped turn the franchise around in a major way...
The Denver Broncos don't get Sean Payton without Nathaniel Hackett, right?
The major moves of trading for Russell Wilson and hiring Nathaniel Hackett were the two moves that GM George Paton hoped put the Denver Broncos over the edge, but neither move worked. After the 2022 NFL Season, you have to think that Paton felt the heat in the kitchen and knew he needed to get this thing right.
And while the Broncos were already without a ton of draft capital due to the Russell Wilson trade, Paton clearly knew he had to make another bold trade, as Sean Payton was still under contract with the New Orleans Saints when the trade went down in the 2023 NFL Offseason.
Thankfully, though, Sean Payton was and is the right man for the job, as he's only entering his third year with the team. Despite still being newer as a head coach with the Broncos, Payton has this team angling toward a deep playoff run in the 2025 NFL Season.
Nathaniel Hackett had embarrassed the Denver Broncos' franchise so much that they clearly felt the only option was to swing for the fences and bring in a sure-fire thing at head coach.