The Denver Broncos They fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games left in the season.
Owner and CEO Greg Benner said he will lead the search for a new coach with the help of GM George Patton, who expressed confidence during Monday’s announcement. Hackett’s dismissal.
Firing Hackett with two games left in a losing season allows Penner to immediately begin the search for a replacement.
The Broncos have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday, when they are expected to name an interim head coach for next weekend’s games against Kansas City and Week 18 at home against the Chargers.
Walton-Benner Group Bought the Broncos for $4.65bn Last summer, a worldwide record for a professional sports franchise.
On Sunday, the Broncos (4-11) were sacked six times as Russell Wilson threw three interceptions in a 51-14 rout of the equally underdog Los Angeles Rams. The game featured a sideline spat between backup QB Brett Rybien and guard Dalton Risner, and pass rusher Randy Gregory threw a punch at a Rams player after the play.
In a statement on Monday, Penner thanked Hackett for his commitment, but following extensive conversations with George and our franchise team, we determined that a new direction would ultimately be in the best interest of the Broncos. The change has now been made out of respect for all involved and allows the search for a new head coach to begin immediately.
“Moving forward, we will carefully evaluate every aspect of our football operations and make the necessary changes to restore this franchise’s successful legacy,” Penner said.
Hackett replaced Vic Fangio last January, but was unable to create an offense that suited Wilson, who recently turned 34.
Hackett was third NFL The head coach was fired in the 2022 season. The Carolina Panthers replaced Matt Rule with interim head coach Steve Wilks and the Indianapolis Colts fired Frank Reich and replaced him with new coach Jeff Saturday.
Many fans thought the Broncos hired Hackett from the Green Bay Packers, where he was offensive coordinator, to help land quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But Rodgers decided to trade Wilson to the Packers and Broncos instead.
However, Wilson had a poor first season in Denver after the Broncos traded four premium draft picks and three players to Seattle for the nine-time Pro Bowler. Wilson had 12 touchdown passes with nine interceptions and 49 sacks in 13 starts and couldn’t get out of a season-long funk.
He went 3-10 as Denver’s starter and missed games with a pulled hamstring and concussion.
He routinely ignores open receivers underneath to attempt deep throws, and he’s shown a marked decline in his ability to escape pass rushers this season.
The Broncos have missed the playoffs in seven straight seasons and extended their losing streak to six.
They’ll try to snap a 14-game losing streak against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and beat Patrick Mahomes for the first time in 11 tries.
