Nathaniel Hackett Fired as Broncos HC After 51-14 Loss to Rams, 4-11 Record

The Denver Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday amid a disastrous first season with the team.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg, who was hired to help with clock-management strategy, has been named interim coach. Troy Renck of Denver 7 reported defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero declined the interim job, opting to remain in his current role instead.

Denver fell to 4-11 on the season following Sunday's calamitous 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

The team also let special teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes and offensive line coach Butch Barry go:

Hackett joined the Broncos after spending the past three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. There were high expectations for the organization after the team acquired nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Even with the upgrade at quarterback, the offense has been a disaster this season while ranking dead last in the NFL with 15.5 points scored per game.

The defense has done its job, holding opponents to fewer than 20 points 10 times this season. However, the offensive limitations have kept the team mired in mediocrity.

Beyond the overall struggles, Hackett has been heavily criticized for his decision-making and game management, forcing the head coach to hire a senior assistant to help with game management earlier in the year.

Hackett notably called for a 64-yard field goal attempt instead of going for it on fourth down during a Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The mistakes became more apparent as the Broncos lost three games in overtime.

General manager George Paton offered Hackett support after the team fell to 2-5 in Week 7.

"The scrutiny he's faced is unprecedented," Paton said. "We've had four primetime games so he's had to learn in front of the entire world."

The failure to turn things around led to the end of his tenure in Denver, forcing the organization to make a quick change at head coach.

The Broncos will now look for their fifth coach in nine seasons, trying to find someone who can get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

An elite defense plus young offensive skill players could make this an enticing location for available coaches, although potential uncertainty at quarterback could create major question marks.

Wilson signed a five-year, $243 million extension last offseason that should keep him under team control for at least the next few seasons. However, despite throwing for over 3,000 yards, Wilson has posted just 12 touchdown passes (tied for 25th in the NFL) to nine interceptions and his passer rating of 82.6 is the worst of his career and ranks 29th in the league.