Nathaniel Hackett Hired as Jets OC After Less Than 1 Season as Broncos Head Coach

The New York Jets announced Thursday they hired Nathaniel Hackett to replace Mike LaFleur as their offensive coordinator.

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported New York has also hired former Tennessee Titans offensive line coach Keith Carter.

Hackett went 4-11 as the Denver Broncos head coach this season, failing to make it through the entire year in the role. Before that, though, he was an offensive coordinator for eight seasons, including stints with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Green Bay Packers.

Because of how badly he flopped in Denver, Hackett's hiring is bound to be met with some skepticism. In addition, his offenses didn't perform all that well when he didn't have the luxury of Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, raising broad questions about his suitability.

In five years with the Bills and Jaguars, Hackett had one year in which he produced an offense that was top-10 in yards and scoring.

It's worth noting he wasn't exactly dealt a strong hand during that span. His starting quarterbacks were EJ Manuel, Thaddeus Lewis, Kyle Orton, Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler.

Last offseason, the perception was that the Broncos targeted Hackett in part because of his connection with Rodgers and the possibility he might be able to help bring the four-time MVP to the Mile High City.

Rodgers stayed in Green Bay, while the Broncos pivoted to Russell Wilson in what is shaping up to be a monumentally bad trade.

Now, many will wonder whether the Jets are making a similar play for the future Hall of Famer as his future with the Packers is once again murky.

The Broncos illustrated the danger of that plan, and even landing Rodgers may not yield the kind of return the Jets are hoping for. The 39-year-old threw for 3,695 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2022.

The player you're getting now may not be the same one who performed at an elite level in 2020 and 2021.

In general, the Jets' long-term outlook is pretty good. Their seven wins matched their most since 2015, and they're a quarterback away from being a serious contender in the AFC East.

While you can see the logic in the move, hiring Hackett is a relatively big gamble. If he's not the guy—and there's enough evidence to suggest he may not be—then it will put a big dent in New York's hopes of continuing its turnaround and returning to the playoffs.