Hackett looks like a busted Bronco
The London game has not been kind to coaches on the hot seat; the Raiders fired Dennis Allen in 2014 and the Dolphins fired Joe Philbin in 2015 on the flight back from a loss across the pond.
Denver coach Nathaniel Hackett is probably wondering if he’s next. A loss Sunday to the Jaguars would drop the Broncos to 2-6. They rank last in points, red zone offense, and penalties, and their $245 million investment in Russell Wilson is looking like a dud.
The Broncos also have new, deeppocketed owners who bought the team over the summer and weren’t involved in hiring Hackett. Surely they have noticed the boos at home games.
It’s so bad that even fellow coaches are advocating for the Broncos to fire Hackett and find a new coach.
“I always support coaches and would rarely advocate for their firing,” tweeted Nuggets legend George Karl. “But Hackett needs to be done in Denver with the Broncos. The search needs to begin immediately for someone who can connect with Wilson and make him a player again. Nathaniel doesn’t appear to be that person.”
Extra points
Deshaun Watson is back in the Browns building, allowed to be with his teammates as he waits for his 11-game suspension to end. But he also is being sued by another massage therapist, and his attorney is fighting back aggressively. Rusty Hardin is calling it a “sham lawsuit” and asking the court to sanction the attorney for $5,000. One reason Watson may be fighting any future lawsuits so aggressively is that his fiveyear, $246 million contract is guaranteed only for incidents that he told the Browns about before signing last spring. The Browns can void the guarantees if other incidents arise . . . Nissan Stadium is only 23 years old, but the Titans and the city of Nashville are thinking bigger. The Titans this past week released plans for a glisteningnew $2.2 billion domed stadium that could host Super Bowls, Final Fours, and other big events. The Titans propose a public/private partnership, with about $840 million coming from the team, $500 million from the state, $760 million from bonds issued by the Metro Sports Authority, plus personal-seat licenses and a hotel tax. If approved by the state legislature, the venue would be similar to the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium and would open in 2026 or 2027 . . . Playing 22 snaps on special teams for the Buccaneers Thursday night: undrafted rookie DB Nolan Turner, the son of former Patriots fullback Kevin Turner, who died in 2016 of ALS . . . Great to see former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler get a tryout with the Dolphins this past week. The Patriots released Butler in August with an injury settlement, but he’s holding out hope that he can continue his career . . . During a kickoff last week that went for a touchback, Seahawks special teamer Xavier Crawford reached 22.97 miles per hour, the fastest speed of any player this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats . . . Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson is tied for the league lead in tackles by an offensive player, with three . . . Aaron Rodgers isn’t making any friends in his locker room. In one fell swoop this past week, he called out both his teammates and his coaches, saying the Packers are making errors “20 percent of the time. I think guys who are making too many mistakes shouldn’t be playing.” Rodgers didn’t back down from his statements the next day, saying, “I don’t understand why people have a problem with things that are truthful.”