After six years of underwhelming offense, the Denver Broncos hired offensive-minded coach Nathaniel Hackett this offseason to turn things around.
Through his first six games in charge, Hackett has failed. Denver is averaging just 15.2 points per game, fewer than any other team in the NFL. Hackett was supposed to fix the offense but instead, the unit looks even worse than it did before the coach arrived.
So, what do the Broncos do now?
Hackett is unlikely to be fired this week. But if the team loses to the New York Jets at home and then to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, Denver would then be 2-6 going into a Week 9 bye.
A bye could be an ideal time to make a coaching change — if it comes to that. If the Broncos win their next two games, they’ll be back to .500 and the team will then have a chance to recharge during the bye and then attack the second half of the season after a much-needed break.
If things don’t turn things around soon, though, the most notable coach available* is Sean Payton, a Super Bowl champion with plenty of offensive success. Should the Broncos give him a call?
(*Payton is retired, but he still has time left on his old contract with the New Orleans Saints. So if a team wants to hire him, they’d have to go through the Saints. Before making a real offer to New Orleans, though, Denver would first want to reach out to Payton to see if he’s even interested.)
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