The Jets ended their seek for an offensive coordinator on Thursday and, in the method, heated up speculation about their seek for a recent quarterback.
The Jets hired Nathaniel Hackett because the alternative for Mike LaFleur. Hackett is coming off a disastrous 15-game stint as Broncos head coach, nevertheless it is his previous stop that has Jets fans buzzing. Hackett served because the Packers offensive coordinator from 2019-21 and was very close with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose future is uncertain and will hit the trade market.
It will not be hard to attach dots on this one, and it has Jets fans hoping that Rodgers will follow Hackett to Recent York. Jets coach Robert Saleh couldn’t discuss Rodgers specifically since he’s under contract with the Packers but downplayed the concept Hackett’s connection to any specific player played a job in him getting hired.
“It doesn’t matter what the connections are,” Saleh said. “Everyone’s got a connection to everybody on this league. A very powerful thing was finding a man who we felt could proceed developing our young guys at a really high level and a man who has done it before, a man who has had success on this league with a wide range of different quarterbacks.”
One in every of those quarterbacks is Rodgers, who won back-to-back MVP awards with Hackett as his offensive coordinator in 2020-21. Hackett didn’t call the plays in Green Bay but was a part of a successful offense and developed a detailed bond with Rodgers, who has spoken highly of Hackett. There was speculation last offseason that the Broncos hired Hackett hoping that Rodgers would follow him to Denver. So this will not be recent ground.
The Rodgers speculation will intensify now with Hackett on board, but a Rodgers trade stays a fantasy until Rodgers or the Packers say they need one to occur, and neither side has said that yet. If Rodgers does hit the market, the Jets or one other team are going to should be willing to present Green Bay the compensation they’re searching for in a trade and pick up Rodgers’ $59 million salary in 2023 for a 39-year-old coming off his worst season. So, there are hurdles to clear.
Saleh said he interviewed greater than 15 candidates for the offensive coordinator opening. There have been seven known candidates — Hackett, former Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo, Browns wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Chad O’Shea, Broncos passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak and Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley.
Saleh said Hackett, 43, filled what he was on the lookout for.
“When it got here back to a certain checklist that I used to be attempting to undergo, just checking boxes on what we were on the lookout for in regard to this next offensive coordinator, I just kept circling back to him,” Saleh said. “He checks every box of what we were on the lookout for. I’m really, really enthusiastic about having the ability to get Nathaniel here.”
Hackett has been an offensive coordinator for the Bills (2013-14), the Jaguars (2016-18) and Packers (2019-21). He called the plays in Jacksonville and last 12 months for the Broncos. Hackett’s father, Paul, served as Jets offensive coordinator from 2001-04. Saleh and Hackett worked together in Jacksonville in 2015 and ’16. Hackett’s best work got here in 2017 when he had the No. 2 offense within the NFL and went to the AFC Championship game with the Jaguars and Blake Bortles at quarterback.
Hackett runs the same system to LaFleur, a West Coast-based offense. The Jets had a playoff-caliber defense last 12 months but were dragged down by a struggling offense. Hackett must now help determine who the brand new quarterback shall be, construct a running game with a revamped offensive line and develop the team’s young skill players. Saleh reiterated the plan still is to maintain Zach Wilson and check out to revive his profession.
The Jets also hired Keith Carter to be their offensive line coach. Carter was fired by the Titans a number of weeks ago after serving as their offensive line coach from 2018-22.
Saleh said every coordinator candidate asked concerning the quarterback position.
“The quarterback position, obviously with all the several interviews, was the No. 1 concern and rightfully so,” Saleh said. “It was easy. We’re committed to finding a veteran. We didn’t get into names. I doubt that [Hackett’s] even studied those guys yet, which he’s going to begin next week. But we didn’t get into specifics on names nevertheless it was talked about that we do plan on bringing in a veteran quarterback if we will. We do wish to proceed working with Zach and proceed to develop him.”
