Jets hiring former Broncos coach Hackett to run offense
The New York Jets have their new offensive play caller. Next up: finding their quarterback.
Former Denver Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett was hired Thursday as the Jets’ offensive coordinator to replace Mike Lafleur after coach Robert Saleh interviewed more than 15 candidates for the vacancy during the last two weeks.
“When it came back to a certain checklist that I was trying to go through,” Saleh said during a video call, “just checking boxes with regard to what we were looking for from this next offensive coordinator, we just kept circling back to him.
“He checks every box that we’re looking for.”
The hiring of the 43-year-old Hackett fuels speculation about whether the Jets could pursue Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose playing future is uncertain. Hackett and Rodgers have a connection: Hackett served as the Packers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-21 with Rodgers as the quarterback.
Rodgers said recently during his weekly appearance on “The Pat Mcafee Show” on Siriusxm and Youtube he believes he can still play at an Mvp-type level in the right situation. But the four-time MVP hasn’t decided whether to return to the Packers, retire or request a trade.
Saleh said during the interview process that he and Hackett didn’t discuss specific quarterbacks. The Jets coach had said he was looking for an experienced play caller to replace Lafleur, who was a first-time offensive coordinator.
“Everybody’s got a connection to everybody in this league,” Saleh said. “The most important thing was finding a guy who could continue developing our young guys at a very high level, a guy who has done it before and a guy who’s had success in this league with a variety of different quarterbacks.”
Hackett went 4-11 in less than one season as head coach of the Broncos, who fired him a day after Denver’s 51-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas. Hackett, who has helped lead three top-10 scoring offenses as a coordinator, replaced Vic Fangio last January. But he wasn’t able to build an offense that suited veteran Russell Wilson with the Broncos.
Saleh added the Jets still want to add a senior offensive assistant/adviser because he liked the structure the team had when the late Greg Knapp was on staff before the 2021 season.
The Jets also announced that Keith Carter was hired as the team’s offensive line coach/run game coordinator, replacing the fired John Benton.
Carter was Tennessee’s O-line coach the last five seasons. The Derrick Henry-led Titans had three top-five rushing finishes in Carter’s last four seasons with the team. Saleh said he was “shocked” Carter was fired by the Titans two weeks ago.
“Feels like we hit a home run,” Saleh said of Carter’s hiring.
Patriots: O’brien hiring official
Bill O’brien is back with the New England Patriots.
The team announced Thursday that O’brien was hired as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
The move comes 12 days after the Patriots said they were searching for a new leader of their offense following a disappointing season that saw secondyear quarterback Mac Jones struggle under an offense largely directed by play caller Matt Patricia and quarterbacks coach Joe Judge.
The team ranked in the bottom half of the league in several categories and last in the NFL in red zone touchdowns.
The move to hire O’brien, New England’s OC during the 2011 season when the team went to the Super Bowl, is expected to bring major changes to the Patriots’ offensive scheme.
“I am looking forward to working with Bill again,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “He is an outstanding coach and an asset to our staff.”
What coaching roles Patricia, who also oversaw the offensive line, and Judge will have next season remains unclear.
O’brien becomes the first official offensive coordinator Belichick has hired since Josh Mcdaniels left following the 2021 season to take the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching job.
O’brien spent the past two seasons as offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama. Before that, he was the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020, leading them to four playoff appearances before being fired in 2020 after a 0-4 start.
He also served as Penn State’s coach from 2012 and 2013. That followed a four-year stint as a Patriots assistant in which he coached receivers and quarterbacks before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2011. That season New England finished ranked third in points and second in yards.
The Patriots staff will coach the West team at next week’s East-west Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas. One of O’brien’s first duties with the Patriots will be serving in a supervisory role for that game along with Belichick and Jerod Mayo.