“He's the ultimate scapegoat”- Emmanuel Acho is certain Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett to hide Russell Wilson’s woes
The Denver Broncos parted ways with head coach Nathaniel Hackett after a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Broncos are 4-11 for the season, and quarterback Russell Wilson has been a disaster.
Following his blockbuster move from the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson came to Denver with high expectations. Unfortunately, he has failed to fulfill those expectations. Former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho believes that Hackett has become the scapegoat for Wilson's poor play this season.
The #Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett, per source. https://t.co/Jf7XPAuMBX
Here's what Emmanuel Acho said on Speak about Hackett getting fired by the Denver Broncos:
"I can't say that I'm shocked y'all, but I am disappointed. I'm disappointed because to me, Nathaniel Hackett, he's the ultimate scapegoat for this. Nathaniel Hackett got fired because he had to be fired."
Acho continued:
"Russell Wilson is tethered to this team for another three years based upon his guaranteed money. It wasn't the worst of problems, Russell Wilson was the worst of problems."
He added:
"Nathaniel Hackett has an offensive mind, he was with Aaron Rodgers the last two years when Aaron Rodgers won MVP and MVP there is no plausible nor probable way that Hackett got this bad this quick. He may be a bad head coach, but this was a bad offensive football team."
There is no denying that Russell Wilson's poor performances have resulted in a poor season for the Broncos. However, the franchise can't move on from him due to his big contract.
As a result, they had to let go of someone, and Hackett hasn't looked good as a head coach. If the Broncos had played badly but managed to win more games, there is a very real chance Hackett would have kept his job. But they didn't and the HC was under the microscope. Apart from poor offensive schemes, he failed to manage the game and as a result his exit was not a surprise.
Nathaniel Hackett might not be ready to be a head coach in the NFL
Hackett was a great offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. He helped Aaron Rodgers win multiple MVP awards, and the Packers played good football. Many thought he would be able to translate that this season with the Broncos. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to do so.
The Broncos initially wanted Rodgers as their quarterback. When he signed a new deal with the Packers, they went for Russell Wilson and that turned out to be a disaster.
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Hackett, who could very well be back in the league shortly as an OC rather than a head coach. In a few years time. he could be back at the helm of a different franchise.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Speak and H/T Sportskeeda.