The New York Jets made “legitimate attempts” to hire someone who would effectively replace and overrule offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, according to a report from SNY.
Hackett’s replacement though wouldn’t be an offensive coordinator, but a “title above who would run the show.”
According to SNY, the move implies that there are “legitimate concerns” within the Jets over Hacketts’ ability to run his side of the ball, but instead of addressing those concerns directly, the team seems content to trust veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ ability to overrule Hackett when neccessary.
Rodgers has long had a reputation of completely changing a play call via an audible at the line of scrimmage, including when he won two MVPs with Hackett as his offensive coordinator on the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers reportedly continued doing so when taking first-team snaps during the 2023 preseason. The four-time NFL MVP tore his achilles four snaps into his regular season Jets career in Week 1 and missed the rest of the season.
Hackett, Zach Wilson (who was recently traded to the Denver Broncos), and the Jets offense struggled mightily after Rodgers went down during the team’s season opener. The team went 7-10, while Wilson threw seven interceptions to only eight touchdowns and was benched multiple times during the season.
New York put up just 15.8 points per game last season — 29th in the NFL — while averaging 268.6 yards per game, good for second-to-last in the league.
Hackett was hired by the Jets in January 2023, shortly after being fired from Denver’s head coaching position. He was later criticized by his replacement, current Broncos head coach Sean Peyton, before last season.
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