The New York Jets aren’t going to be making any major changes to their coaching staff. They are going to run it back with Robert Saleh as head coach, with all of his coordinators returning. But, that decision is one the team could quickly regret.
Retaining offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is certainly a questionable decision, at best. He was hired only to appease Aaron Rodgers and has repeatedly proven that he isn’t capable of doing the job that is asked of him.
Hackett and Rodgers worked very well together when they were with the Green Bay Packers in 2020 and 2021. Rodgers won the MVP award in both seasons, but how much of that can be attributed to Hackett? According to The Athletic, Rodgers was routinely overriding calls Hackett made during training camp and changing things at the line of scrimmage.
NFL News & Rumors: Nathaniel Hackett, Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets Updates
“That’s what Aaron wants,” would be Hackett’s response when other coaches would ask the rationale behind some plays being called. So, when Rodgers went down with an injury, it is no surprise that the offense tanked as the veteran quarterback was no longer on the field to get the team into the right looks.
Zach Wilson was left out to dry most of the season as Rodgers’ replacement, getting benched and then thrust back into the starting role once Tim Boyle, who was also on the Packers, proved to be even worse. Even more damning for Hackett was that other coaches called him out per the sources from The Athletic.
“In The Athletic report, several coaches and players bashed Hackett for “lacking in attention to detail” and waiting until the “last minute” to game prep with the entire offensive staff.
According to the report, Hackett also appeared stubborn to make adjustments during games, with the Jets’ Week 2 matchup against the Cowboys serving as a prime example. Offensive line coach/running game coordinator Keith Carter reportedly asked Hackett for more help on the left side, where tackle Duane Brown was struggling to block Micah Parsons. No changes were made, however, allowing Dallas’ standout linebacker to finish with two sacks and four quarterback hits in New York’s 30-10 loss.” (H/T MSN)
The idea of reducing Hackett’s role and bringing in more help on the offensive staff has been considered by Saleh, according to The Athletic. If he wants to make it through the 2024 season and beyond as the Jets’ head coach, that is something he certainly should do.
NFL News & Rumors: Nathaniel Hackett, Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets Updates
Hackett has failed at every stop in his career except when Rodgers was his quarterback. While the future Hall of Famer could bail him out once again, Hackett showed during the 2023 season he cannot get the job done on his own.
His reluctance to make adjustments is damaging to the entire team. Admitting he didn’t know star running back Breece Hall was head-scratching as well, as every fan could have told you how good of a dual-threat player he was.
Keeping Hackett in as prominent of a role as he had in 2023 will doom the Jets offensively. There is only so much Rodgers is going to be able to do to overcome the incompetency Hackett has shown throughout his career as a playcaller.
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