NFL Rumors: Broncos HC Nathaniel Hackett's job hangs in balance based on Jaguars result
The Denver Broncos are off to a bad start in the 2022 NFL season. They're 2-5 ahead of their bout with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. This is a tough record to swallow for a team that had genuine Super Bowl aspirations. The trade for Russell Wilson has not worked out thus far, and a big reason why may be head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
Hackett's career with the Broncos is in jeopardy after just seven games. According to Dan Graziano with ESPN, this may be Hackett's final game as a head coach:
"Things are already feeling sticky in Denver for first-year coach Hackett. There's even chatter in some league circles that his job could be on the line with this Sunday's game against the Jaguars in London..."
He hesitated to say that Hackett would be fired following a loss against Jacksonville:
"I'm not sure I fully buy that Sunday is a make-or-break game for Hackett, because it would be absolutely bizarre for a non-Urban Meyer head coach to be fired at the midway point of his first season. But things haven't gone well there, and if the Broncos fall to 2-6, it wouldn't surprise me to see some sort of action, like a call for some changes on the staff or a rearranging of responsibilities."
Graziano does believe some sort of change could be in order if they drop to 2-6.
Will Nathaniel Hackett be fired by the Denver Broncos?
Barring an unforeseen turnaround, Denver are very likely to fire their first-year head coach at some point this season. Graziano mentioned that it's unlikely for any team to fire their first-year coach midseason, but it's not impossible.
The team was expected to at least compete for the postseason following the blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson, however, this has not materialized. They extended Wilson's contract, so he's not likely to go anywhere. Hackett, on the other hand, is a much easier person to move on from.
He's the odds-on favorite for the next coach to be fired this season. If the losses continue to pile up, starting with the Jaguars game, it might not be long before that's a reality.
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