The Green Bay Packers have a lot to play for this season. After a long, tumultuous offseason of drama, the Packers control their destiny in the NFC. The playoffs will run through Lambeau Field. Matt LaFleur’s squad has 13 wins for the third consecutive year and is coaching the Super Bowl favorite.
Focusing on the future beyond the Super Bowl is less fun, considering Green Bay has a ton of unknowns going into the 2022 season. Aaron Rodgers looks to be poised to win a fourth MVP, but his future status is unknown. He’ll decide his fate after the season. The Packers and Davante Adams are also in a strange state, with rumors that Green Bay may use the franchise tag on him. Ultimately, the team is in a precarious cap space state and could look very different next season.
Yet the Packers may lose a major reason behind their success for a more positive reason. After being part of the think tank of one of the league’s best offenses the past three seasons, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett could leave Green Bay to become a head coach. While LaFleur is the play-caller, Hackett’s fingerprints all over the offense haven’t gone unnoticed, and he’s receiving buzz as one of the hottest head-coaching candidates for 2022.
The Packers had the best offense in the league last year, but Hackett had just one head coaching interview following the season. He had a Zoom interview with the Atlanta Falcons, who ultimately hired Arthur Smith, a different LaFleur protege.
But Hackett is generating much more interest after another great year in Green Bay. The Jacksonville Jaguars will interview Hackett for their head coaching vacancy following the season. Hackett previously was the offensive coordinator in Jacksonville, taking the Blake Bortles-led team to the AFC Championship game. Hackett could return to his old stomping grounds following the disastrous Urban Meyer era.
NFL insider Benjamin Allbright believes Hackett will probably be the favorite for the Jaguars job, and they haven’t interviewed him yet. Hackett told reporters he still has a few hats from his time there.
Jacksonville likely won’t be the only suitor. The Las Vegas Raiders are the only other team with a vacancy, and they’re focusing on finishing out the season. But they could interview Hackett once their search ramps up. Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos seem highly likely to part ways. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears seem destined to part with Mike Zimmer and Matt Nagy, respectively. The thought of Hackett helming a rival franchise is an upsetting thought, but he’d bring a lot to both needy franchises.
There could be other, less likely openings, too. The Seattle Seahawks look ready for a rebuild, and if the New York Giants had any smarts, they’d be rebuilding as well.
Hackett is the pioneer of the gold zone in Green Bay, combining his red zone focus with his love of the third Austin Powers film, Austin Powers in Goldmember. This simple nickname highlights both factors in what makes Hackett a great head coaching candidate: His offensive background and his dynamic personality.
Despite the red zone offense taking a step backward in 2021, the Packers are still scoring touchdowns. The Packers may not pop as much as other offenses in terms of raw numbers. But it’s hard to find a better offense in terms of raw efficiency. LaFleur may call the plays, and Rodgers may execute them, but Hackett’s DNA is all over the scheme. Plus, Hackett has playcalling experience. As mentioned, he was able to take Bortles to the AFC Championship, and Jacksonville probably should have won that game.
But there’s more to being a head coach than being good at one side of the game. Hackett is absolutely loved in the locker room, both as a cerebral football mind and a goofball. He’s a players’ coach who gets the team to rally behind him. No other coach in the NFL can scheme a league-leading offense while dressing like the villain from an Austin Powers film.
LaFleur believes his coordinator is ready for the next step. “He’s a man of the highest integrity, treats people the right way, and then I think he just cares about people,” LaFleur told the media. He referenced Hackett’s intelligence and character multiple times and expressed that, while he wouldn’t want to lose Hackett, he’s ready for the big job.
Losing Hackett would be significant for the Packers, and he could take even more coaches with him. Adam Stenovich or Luke Getsy could go with Hackett to a new destination or become his replacement in Green Bay.
While the future for Green Bay is uncertain, Hackett is focused on the now — winning a Super Bowl as offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. Whatever Hackett’s future holds, their team will have a brilliant football mind and an even better human being in Green Bay or elsewhere.
