Report: Broncos Hire Nathaniel Hackett as Head Coach
The Denver Broncos have their man.
Per multiple reports, the Broncos have hired former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett to be their next head coach.
Tom Pelissero was first to break the news on Thursday morning.
"The Broncos are finalizing a deal with Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett to make him their new head coach, per sources," wrote Pelissero on Twitter. "Contract talks heated up Wednesday night. The Jaguars planned to interview Hackett again today. Instead, Denver lands its top choice."
Other NFL heavyweights including Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport were quick to confirm Pelissero's initial report.
Hackett was one of 10 candidates to be interviewed to replace former head coach Vic Fangio who was fired earlier this month. He was the first candidate to get a second interview.
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had long been considered a favorite to land the job in Denver. He has ties with general manager George Paton that go back nearly 15 years to the Miami Dolphins.
Hackett and Quinn were considered co-favorites after the first round of interviews, with the Packers offensive coordinator winning out.
The Broncos may not be done raiding the Packers just yet. Hackett is close with quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy and could pick him as his offensive coordinator.
And then there's the elephant in the room in reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Landing Hackett only increases the chances that Rodgers comes to Denver in 2022. Rodgers and his top receiver Davante Adams have been sending signals that they wouldn't mind a move to the Broncos.
Pulling Rodgers and/or Adams from the Packers won't be easy. It will cost several first-round draft picks and a good chunk of the Broncos' available salary-cap space.
But things just got interesting.
Hackett has been an offensive coordinator for eight years in the NFL. He has had stints with the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars before landing in Green Bay the past three season.
Hackett is credited with helping Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles to his most successful season. Bortles had a career passer rating of 80.6, but he helped lead the NFL's fifth-ranked offense in 2017.
Stay tuned to Mile High Huddle for much more breaking news.
