NFL coaching carousel tracker 2023: Who’s been fired, who’s been hired?
By John Buhler
Pick Analysis. AFC. Denver Broncos. player. 45. Scouting Report. West.
Denver Broncos: Nathaniel Hackett -> Sean Payton
There is no other way around it. Nathaniel Hackett was a complete disaster leading the Denver Broncos. Hired by the Broncos to help bring Aaron Rodgers to Denver, they ended up with a totally washed Russell Wilson instead. So over his skis, Hackett went a disastrous 4-11 in 15 games as the Broncos head coach. He was the fifth NFL head coach to not make it through his first season…
In a weird twist, the Broncos named senior assistant Jerry Rosburg the interim head coach. Rosburg was the guy Hackett brought onto his staff to help manage the game clock. Regardless, Denver how has new ownership with The Waltons taking over. They did not hire Hackett in the first place. Their preference was always to hire a coach with previous head-coaching experience.
The dollars had to make sense first, but Denver did in fact make a home-run hire by negotiating a trade with the New Orleans Saints for Sean Payton’s rights. It cost them their 2023 first-round pick by way of the Miami Dolphins from the Bradley Chubb trade, as well as next year’s second. Denver also acquired the Saints’ third-round pick to sweeten the deal. What a move they made!
Payton is a hall-of-fame-level head coach, but Denver has been one of the worst franchises in the NFL over the last half decade. He will be tasked with getting the most out of Wilson in the latter part of his “prime”. For better or worse, this hiring makes the Broncos interesting and must-watch TV next year. Will it work out? Who knows, but you do have to admire the Broncos’ big swing here.
Payton was hired to end the Broncos’ lengthy playoff drought and bring Denver back to relevance.