One of the shortest coaching tenures in NFL history came to an end on Monday as Denver Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett after just 15 games following Sunday’s ugly, 51-14 loss to the 5-10 Los Angeles Rams, which dropped his squad to just 4-11 on the year.
Hackett is a veteran NFL playcaller who was previously the offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers from 2019-21. Senior assistant Jerry Rosburg will take over as interim coach for the final two games of the season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It’s a strange choice, to say the least. The 67-year-old retired from coaching in 2019 after spending a decade as the special teams coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. He also held the same role with the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns.
Sources: Broncos players were just informed that senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg, whom Nathaniel Hackett hired during the season to aid him in clock management strategy, is now taking over as the Broncos’ interim head coach, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/WJ8BFXlg3k
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 26, 2022
Rosburg came out of retirement earlier this season to join Hackett’s staff as an assistant, specifically to work on clock management situations. Ironically, the staffer Hackett hoped would help deliver better results on the field will now replace him as the head coach for the remainder of the season.
That irony was not lost on NFL fans, who had a lot of jokes about the move.
