The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh this week but opted to keep offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on staff despite their offense struggling through the first five games of the season.
New York’s decision surprised NFL fans and pundits. Their next move was less surprising: interim coach Jeff Ulbrich announced Thursday that Hackett has been stripped of playcalling duties and Todd Downing is taking over.
Saleh planned to make that same change, but he was fired. Ulbrich apparently liked Saleh’s plan and he’s now implementing it.
No longer tasked with calling plays, Hackett’s role with the Jets is unclear, but they aren’t firing him. Here’s a sampling of how Denver Broncos fans and pundits reacted to the news on Twitter/X.
https://t.co/eO4F4OjjeH pic.twitter.com/R3aXTeUTxE
— Bri 🦇 (@BriMaestas303) October 10, 2024
Waking up and smoking that Nathaniel Hackett pack https://t.co/aK4IjvFWPP pic.twitter.com/ht3MyJT3oa
— Frankie Abbott (@FrankiesFilm) October 10, 2024
https://t.co/wBFpOesmbJ pic.twitter.com/50PwDOhvVe
— Liam Hammer (@HammerSportsYT) October 10, 2024
This was Nathaniel Hackett when he heard Robert Saleh was getting fired pic.twitter.com/87M8k0mL8M
— Ryan Edwards (@redwardsradio) October 10, 2024
Everyone on this app owes Sean Payton an apology for what he said about Nathaniel Hackett.
— RED Komodo X 🎥 (@JKarrCinema) October 10, 2024
Saleh was fired because of Woody Johnson's ego
Jets fixed their problem by taking away playcalling from Hackett pic.twitter.com/Bfh95r8SKR
— Karsen 🐎 (@Broncos4six) October 10, 2024
As a Broncos fan I love seeing this 🤣🤣🤣 What is Hackett even there for now?
— Jason Phillips (@SteepleBro907) October 10, 2024
Broncos fan here… Hackett is the problem 100%
— Cole (@ObiwanColenobi) October 10, 2024
Least Hackett is still in the building so @AaronRodgers12 can have his friend there to console him thru the rough times tbh. https://t.co/fhMibhV7U0
— 🙊 go broncos tbh 🐐🙋♂️ (@GoBroncosTBH) October 10, 2024
Time to give Sean Payton his flowers for being dead on about Hackett
— larry (not a stripper) Reed (@L_The_Ideal) October 10, 2024
so what is it Nathaniel Hackett is actually going to do now for the Jets?
— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) October 10, 2024
Nathaniel Hackett’s last four years as an NFL play-caller:
2018, Jaguars: Fired as OC after 11 games
2022, Broncos: Surrenders play-calling as HC after 9 games
2023, Jets: Ranks 31st in scoring offense
2024, Jets: Loses play-calling responsibilities after 5 games— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 10, 2024
Hackett served as Denver’s head coach in 2022. He was fired with two games remaining that season after starting 4-11. Last offseason, new Broncos coach Sean Payton said Denver’s 2022 season “might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”
It seems that Payton’s comments have been justified.
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