When Broncos general manager George Paton hired Nathaniel Hackett to his first NFL head coaching job 11 months ago, he hoped he was infusing a jolt of energy and offensive creativity back into a proud franchise in the midst of a six-year playoff drought.
Instead of Mile High offensive fireworks, however, Hackett installed and oversaw the worst offense in the league — a mess no number of resolute news conferences or tweaks to the coaching staff structure could solve.
Hackett was fired Monday a day after the team fell to 4-11 with an embarrassing 51-14 loss at the Los Angeles Rams, the team announced. In a statement announcing the firing, owner and CEO Greg Penner thanked Hackett for his work while also indicating support for general manager George Paton.
