Nathaniel Hackett is back in the NFL.
Hackett, most remembered for his time as the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets offensive coordinator along with a short stint as the Denver Broncos head coach, is being hired as the Miami Dolphins’ QB coach, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Thursday.
The 46-year-old Hackett will work under Dolphins rookie head coach Jeff Hafley and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
Hackett garnered his most acclaim during his three seasons as the Packers’ OC (2019-2021). In 2020, Green Bay was the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers won back-to-back MVPs with Hackett in 2020-21.
Hackett’s success with Rodgers and the Pack led to his hiring as the Broncos’ head coach ahead of the 2022 campaign, but disaster struck in Denver. Hackett and new QB Russell Wilson never meshed and the former was fired before a full season ended, saddled with a 4-11 record as a head coach.
Once again joined at the hip with Rodgers, Hackett was on board as the Jets OC from 2023-2024. Rodgers was infamously injured four snaps into the 2023 season and by 2024, head coach Robert Saleh was fired and Hackett lost his play-calling duties.
Hackett’s getting a fresh start in South Beach now. Just who he’ll be coaching will be one of the Dolphins’ prevailing offseason questions. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could well be out after six seasons, Zach Wilson -- who didn’t flourish under Hackett during their time with the Jets -- is an impending free agent, and 2025 rookie Quinn Ewers doesn’t seem to be the franchise's answer moving forward. Thus, questions in the Miami QB room abound.
Whomever it is that makes up said QB room will be shepherded by the returning Hackett.
With Rodgers weighing free agency or retirement, there’s likely to be some chatter about a possible reunion, but for now, Hackett’s return to the NFL is the latest and largest Dolphins development in what’s been and will continue to be an eventful Miami offseason.