Jets hire Nathaniel Hackett as Offensive Coordinator, fuelling Aaron Rodgers speculation

The New York Jets have hired Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator, adding fuel to speculation about who their new quarterback will be.

Hackett, 43, joins Robert Saleh’s staff after a disastrous season as head coach of the Denver Broncos, who fired him towards the end of the 2022. 

He returns to the coordinator ranks where he has been incredibly successful, previously fielded a top-10 scoring offense three times and helping teams to Conference Championship games (2017 Jacksonville Jaguars; 2019 and 2020 Green Bay Packer).

It was his work with Packers where Hackett enjoyed his best spell, helping quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ two consecutive MVP-winning seasons. This move has certainly got the rumour mill turning on Rodgers’ future, with a move to the Jets looking a definite possibility.

Rodgers’ future with the Packers remains unclear after they failed to secure a playoff spot this season. Add that to the Jets’ quarterback struggles with Zach Wilson and Mike White at the helm, they are well and truly in the market for a new star.

Hackett arrives in New York with plenty of connections with the Jets, having worked with head coach Robert Saleh on the Jacksonville staff of Doug Marrone in 2015-16, when Saleh was the Jaguars’ linebackers coach and Hackett was the quarterbacks coach. His father, Paul Hackett, was also the Jets’ offensive coordinator from 2001 to 2004. 

The Jets also announced the hiring of a new offensive line and run game coach in Keith Carter, who most recently served as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive line coach over the past five seasons.