“Rodgers to the Jets confirmed” - NFL fans claim Nathaniel Hackett hire is latest attempt to win over Aaron Rodgers

Published Jan 26, 2023 17:25 GMT

Nathaniel Hackett was hired to get Aaron Rodgers, claims NFL fans

Aaron Rodgers nearly jumped ship last year in the minds of fans. The year before that, the quarterback flirted with retirement and a big change as well. This year, fans are claiming that the New York Jets are the latest team to attempt to win over the quarterback, thanks to their latest coaching hire.

Nathaniel Hackett, the Denver Broncos' former head coach, was hired by the team. The offensive coordinator spent several years with the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers. During his stay, the quarterback led many to believe that he loved his coordinator.

Fans believe that the Denver Broncos hired Hackett to try to entice the quarterback last year and that the New York Jets are trying to pull off the same thing. Here's what is being said:

Nathaniel Hackett's rollercoaster career sets Jets up for risky results without Rodgers

The offensive coordinator's time in the NFL began in 2006 as an offensive quality control coach, according to Pro Football Reference. However, his first coordinator gig came in 2013 and 2014, during the division's infamous struggles to supplant Tom Brady. However, with his next team, the offense ascended on his watch.

While he was with the team, Blake Bortles had the best year of his career and led the team to the AFC Championship game. After showing promise in Florida, he joined the Green Bay Packers in 2019. In 2022, after three years of great success on Rodgers' watch, the coordinator was hired by the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos failed to get Aaron Rodgers by hiring the head coach, but did get then-Seattle Seahawks' franchise quarterback, Russell Wilson. Heading into his debut season, the Broncos were expected to be in at least Wild Card weekend and potentially reach a Super Bowl. Instead, the quarterback won four games and the team finished 5-12.

Hackett was fired the day after Christmas after the team suffered their worst blowout of the season against the Los Angeles Rams. Looking ahead, while the former head coach has had plenty of success as a coordinator, his recent track record of struggles opens up the possibility of a nosedive in his career.

Will the former head coach rebound in 2023 under Robert Saleh's leadership? The Jets already have the fourth-ranked defense in yards allowed per game. However, the team's offense is hoping for an overnight revamp after it became clear that Zach Wilson, Mike White and Joe Flacco are not the solution.

Will the team put it together to finally break the longest active playoff drought in the NFL?

About the author

Ian brings with him more than 6.5 years of sports writing experience to the Sportskeeda NFL team. He played offensive line in middle school and high school, and also made it to the top 0% matchmaking ranking in MUT play in Madden.

He possesses the quality of identifying unique story angles from quotes in press conferences, social media and interviews. He assimilates facts for his stories with a lawyer-like precision and verifies each and every piece of information.

Ian admires Peyton Manning for his ability to beat teams with his mind despite not being the best athlete, and is also a fan of Tom Brady. The Denver Broncos are his favorite team, and their Super Bowl 50 win in Manning’s last game is etched in his memory forever. Bill Belichick is his all-time favorite coach.

He has also grown to admire the Los Angeles Rams mainly because he and Cooper Kupp went to the same college, Eastern Washington University, with both finishing their college careers at the same time.

In his career so far, Ian has had the privilege of exclusively interviewing Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, Kwity Paye of the Indianpolis Colts and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash. When not writing, he likes to play video games and be outdoors.

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