The Broncos have completed the third interview of their head coaching search.
General Manager George Paton and the Broncos' search committee met with their second member of the Packers' coaching staff as they interviewed Green Bay offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on Saturday about the team's open head-coaching position.
Hackett, who has 14 years of NFL experience, has served as the Packers' offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. During his tenure, the Packers have posted one of the league's best offenses, including the NFL's top-scoring unit in 2020. Hackett has worked closely with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who appears poised to win his second consecutive MVP award in 2021.
Before arriving in Green Bay in 2019, Hackett served as the Jaguars' quarterbacks coach from 2015-16 before assuming the offensive coordinator responsibilities late in 2016. He continued in the role for two more years and helped lead Blake Bortles and the Jaguars to an AFC Championship appearance.
Hackett also served as the Bills' offensive coordinator from 2013-14.
The son of former NFL head coach Paul Hackett, the younger Hackett has helped lead a top 10 scoring offense in four of his seven full seasons as an offensive coordinator.
"He's not only done this before — and 'done this', meaning, orchestrated really good offenses," The Athletic's Matt Schneidman told DenverBroncos.com. "He doesn't call the plays in Green Bay — that's obviously [head coach] Matt LaFleur — but Nathaniel Hackett was the offensive coordinator of the Jaguars when they made it to the AFC Championship just a couple of years ago with Blake Bortles as their quarterback. No shame on Blake Bortles — and yes, that team had a really, really good defense — but Nathaniel Hackett has proven he [can] call plays with the best of them and get the most out of an offense that needs it. In terms of him being a head coach, we were talking to Aaron Rodgers the other day and he said he thinks the most important qualities of a head coach are not so much the X's and O's — that's important — but the ability to command a room, relate to your players, earn the respect of everyone in the building and get people to buy in. Talk to any player at Lambeau Field or any coach, and nobody does that better than Nathaniel Hackett."
The Broncos will reportedly interview seven more candidates for the head coaching position. Denver interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn on Thursday and Packers quarterbacks/passing game coordinator Luke Getsy on Friday.
