When Nathaniel Hackett was the head coach of the Broncos at this time last year, there was a lot of excitement around the team about what quarterback Russell Wilson‘s arrival would mean for Denver’s season.
That excitement curdled early in the regular season, however. Wilson struggled all year, the Broncos offense never got on track, and Hackett was fired with two games left on the schedule.
Hackett’s experience is a reminder that big trades don’t always work out as hoped and those memories haven’t been purged now that he’s working as the Jets’ offensive coordinator. Trading for Aaron Rodgers last month has raised the expectations for the Jets for this season, but Hackett is quick to offer a reminder that looking good on paper and looking good on the field aren’t the same thing.
“Potential is one of those fancy words that we haven’t done anything yet,” Hackett said, via Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News. “Right now, we have some very good pieces, some very good people and players on the field. There has to be cohesion, there has to be a mesh. Aaron runs things on the field very uniquely, so there are a lot of things the guys are going to have to learn and get used to. Where that goes, I’m not sure. But I know there’s going to be some growing pains, there’s going to be some bumps. It is just about us getting on the field, everybody getting comfortable with each other and we will see where it goes.”
The offseason excitement about the Broncos led to them being put in a lot of nationally televised games last year and their failure to live up to the hype became a leading storyline of the 2022 season. The Jets will find out how much time they’ll spend in the spotlight on Thursday and then they’ll get back to work on making sure they avoid the same fate as the Broncos.