After the fourth game of his second season, it finally happened. The New York Jets realized Nathaniel Hackett was a fraud.
The Jets demoted the offensive coordinator this week after his offense ranked 29th in scoring (16.4) and 30th in yards per game (272.7) in his 22 games.
There is little joy in seeing Hackett revealed — the same thing happened in Jacksonville and Denver — but it pulled the curtain back on a trend that must end.
Dear desperate NFL teams: Stop giving all the money and power to free agents or acquired quarterbacks.
It throws off the power dynamic and makes otherwise logical coaches and executives look like fanboy fools. Look at the past three cases: Russell Wilson to the Broncos, Deshaun Watson to the Browns and Aaron Rodgers to the Jets (Kirk Cousins doesn’t count because he essentially has a two-year deal and a capable backup).
Desperate to compete in the AFC West and absent ownership, Broncos general manager George Paton traded five draft picks and three players to Seattle for Wilson. The Broncos acquiesced to all of his demands, including free run of the facility, a new contract, his own office and his own offense. It was an unmitigated disaster, defined by Hackett’s unwillingness to tell a delusional Wilson he was not Drew Brees, Tom Brady or Brady Quinn. The Broncos fired Hackett after 15 games, and ended up paying Wilson $124 million for 11 wins.
And that is not even the worst contract ever. That belongs to Watson. The Browns traded for him and gave him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal. He has settled more sexual harassment lawsuits (24) than he has thrown touchdown passes (19) over the past three years. And the Browns still won’t bench him because, you know, the contract.
When Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich demoted Hackett this week he praised Rodgers for being supportive of the decision, saying “I am fortunate of that.” My word. Just make Rodgers a player/coach/GM. Has there ever been more evidence of who is running the Jets the past two years? Imagine Mike Shanahan, Bill Parcells or Sean Payton expressing how pleased they were that a player agreed with their decision.
The Wilson, Watson and Rodgers transactions offer cautionary tales. And provide impetus to draft a franchise quarterback, and, if not possible, avoid going all-in on a veteran who answers to no one.
One game, one problem: One game is not a long time. But that’s all it took to wonder if the Avs (still) have a goalie problem. The Knights blitzed Alexandar Georgiev for five goals on 16 shots in the season opener. Here’s the thing: Coach Bednar is preaching defense, especially for the first two months as the Avs wait for reinforcements. That message will be undercut if Georgiev does not become serviceable.
The Hunter: With an impressive two-way performance in a win over Kansas State, CU’s Travis Hunter will become the Heisman favorite. His chances of winning the award will increase exponentially if the Buffs remain in the running for the Big 12 title. But he will be hard-pressed to top Boise State running back Ashton “The Human First Down” Jeanty, who is on pace for 2,680 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns.
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Mail Time
Get (Kyle) Pitts instead. He’s younger, still on a cheaper deal. And tight end is a bigger hole than receiver. Bo Nix isn’t seeing, or throwing to open receivers as it is.
Leanne Harrington, Twitter
I advanced the argument this week that the Broncos should push to acquire Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, if he is available. He is only 25 and can address short- and long-term needs. Tight end is a problem. Greg Dulcich has been a ghost. And Lucas Krull is a project. Pitts, who started in front of Krull at Florida, is finally finding a role in Atlanta’s offense after two lost seasons, though many suspect he is being showcased. He would help the Broncos, but not as much as a No. 1 receiver. And his acquisition price would be higher.
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