GREEN BAY, Wis. -- There's another new-old coach on the Green Bay Packers' staff.
Nathaniel Hackett, who spent three seasons (2019-21) as the team's offensive coordinator before he became the Denver Broncos' coach for one year and New York Jets offensive coordinator tor the previous two seasons, has been rehired by the Packers as a consultant/analyst.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Hackett will work with the defense but will bring an offensive perspective to the other side of the ball.
It's similar to what former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh did for the Packers late last season when he worked with the offense but brought a defensive coach's perspective. Saleh worked for the Packers part time after he was fired by the Jets.
"We've got kind of a history of this with guys that are kind out there and certainly, he's a guy that I really respect, and we've had a lot of great times together," LaFleur said Thursday. "And he's kind of coming in and doing an analyst role for our defense."
LaFleur said Hackett has been spending time with the linebackers early on.
"I just think it's a fresh perspective," LaFleur said. "You kind of, especially when you take a defensive guy and put them on offense and vice versa, and offensive guy and defense, it gives you a little different lens to see it through and talk through. And so, he's sitting in with all our, with our defensive staff, and he's been in the linebacker room and kind of just going through the film and, you know, gives them a good offensive perspective."
It has been a rocky couple of seasons for Hackett.
Last season after Saleh was fired, Hackett was demoted by interim coach Jeff Ulbrich when New York dipped to 27th in total offense (286.6 yards per game) and 25th in scoring (18.6 points). Todd Downing took over as the playcaller at that time. The Broncos fired Hackett after 15 games and a 4-11 record in 2022.
