When the Denver Broncos hired Nathaniel Hackett as their head coach in 2022, there was heavy speculation that the franchise did so with the hopes of luring quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Denver.
If that truly was the plan, it backfired as Rodgers opted to instead remain with the Green Bay Packers for another season. The Broncos then traded for Russell Wilson, which ended up being a disastrous trade, but landing Rodgers might have been even worse for the franchise.
Rodgers ended up joining the New York Jets one year later and now just one season and five games into his tenure, the veteran franchise has turned the franchise upside down.
The Jets fired respected coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday, a move that appears to be Rodgers getting his way. Meanwhile, there’s been no news that New York plans to fire Hackett, who now serves as their offensive coordinator.
With Rodgers and Hackett running the show, the Jets have the sixth-worst offense in the NFL, averaging 286.6 yards yards per game. New York’s 18.6 points per game rank eighth-worst in the league.
The Broncos, meanwhile, moved on from both Hackett and Wilson and the team is now led by Sean Payton and they have a 24-year-old quarterback in Bo Nix. Had they successfully landed Rodgers three years ago, Denver likely could have still had Hackett and Rodgers, who will turn 41 in December.
The Jets are a mess in large part because they acquired an aging Rodgers and seemingly let him run the show. The Broncos are fortunate to have avoided such a disaster.
[vertical-gallery id=620142]