Hiring Hackett would raise speculation that the Broncos were trying to lure star Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Denver, perhaps along with his star receiver Davante Adams, who is set to hit free agency in March.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos are finalizing a deal to hire Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Thursday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was still in the works and the team hasn’t made an announcement. Hiring Hackett would raise speculation that the Broncos were trying to lure star Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Denver, perhaps along with his star receiver Davante Adams, who is set to hit free agency in March. Rodgers, who turned 38 last month in what’s expected to be his fourth MVP season, is contemplating his future, including retirement, after the Packers’ early exit from the playoffs last weekend. Top-seeded Green Bay was upset at home 13-10 by the San Francisco 49ers. Hackett,42, emerged as the front-runner on his own merits, however, which includes his work with quarterback Blake Bortles as Jacksonville’s offensive coordinator from 2016-18 before he went to Green Bay and helped Matt LaFleur win a record 39 games in his first three seasons as head coach. Hackett, who is the son of former college and NFL coach Paul Hackett, would inherit a young, talented roster in Denver, where he flew in for a second interview on Monday. He was the only finalist to get a second in-person interview in Denver. General manager George Paton interviewed 10 candidates to replace Vic Fangio, whom he fired after a disappointing 7-10 season, Denver’s sixth consecutive without a playoff berth.
