Report: Broncos Hire Packers TE Coach Justin Outten as Offensive Coordinator
After not landing two people that Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett considered for the offensive coordinator position, he will have a coach he knows from the Green Bay Packers organization taking that position.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Broncos officially named Packers tight end coach Justin Outten as their new offensive coordinator. Hackett has already announced that he will call plays, though Outten is expected to provide input into the offensive scheme.
When Hackett was first hired by the Broncos, the hope was that Packers quarterback coach Luke Getsy might follow him to become offensive coordinator. However, Getsy instead took the job as offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, where he will get the chance to call plays.
Then the Broncos were linked to Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich, but the Packers instead promoted him to serve as their offensive coordinator.
Those events led to Outten getting the job with the Broncos. He first became an NFL coach in 2016, when he served as a coaching intern for the Atlanta Falcons under Dan Quinn, another person the Broncos interviewed for the head coaching position. Outten also got the chance to observe Kyle Shanahan, who served as offensive coordinator in 2016.
Outten was then named an offensive assistant coach in 2017 and held that position for two seasons. The Packers then hired him in 2019 to become their tight ends coach, a position he has held for the past three seasons.
While Outten’s ties to Hackett and Packers head coach Matt Lafleur are clear, the fact that Outten has had the chance to observe Shanahan and two other offensive coordinators with the Falcons (Steve Sarkisian and Dirk Koetter) means he’s not solely tied to the Packers and what they have run on offense the past three seasons.
The Broncos still need to fill the defensive coordinator position, for which Los Angeles Rams secondary coach Ejiro Evero remains the favorite for the job. With the Rams in the Super Bowl, the Broncos won’t be able to officially hire him until after the championship game.
Also, the Broncos need to find a new special teams coordinator, but no names have surfaced as of yet.
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