Broncos Still Eyeing Packers Assistants, Request DC Interview With Anthony Weaver
The Broncos have gone through a few offensive coordinators since Gary Kubiak‘s departure, and their pursuit of landing Nathaniel Hackett‘s first OC has run into some interesting hiccups.
After the Packers denied the Broncos permission to speak with Adam Stenavich for their OC gig, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel adds the team also sought a meeting with Green Bay wide receivers coach Jason Vrable. That interview will not happen, either, per Silverstein, who indicates tight ends coach Justin Outten is on Denver’s radar. Vrable is believed to be under contract. QBs coach Luke Getsy — a Broncos HC interviewee and Bears OC target — is believed to be a coaching free agent, per Denver7’s Troy Renck (on Twitter).
Hackett appears intent on bringing a Packers assistant to Denver. While that makes sense ahead of Hackett’s effort to install his offense, it is interesting how far down the chain the new Broncos HC will go to fill his coordinator spot. Outside candidates would make sense at a point, and the Broncos are planning to interview Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger for the OC job. Koger, 32, spent the 2019 and ’20 seasons as a quality control staffer with the Packers but has only been a position coach for one season.
Additionally, the Broncos sent out a defensive coordinator interview request for Ravens D-line coach Anthony Weaver, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Weaver interviewed for the Baltimore DC job that went to Mike Macdonald, who is returning to the Ravens from Michigan. Weaver, 41, spent the 2020 season as the Texans’ DC. He also worked with Hackett in Buffalo, with the two each assistants on Doug Marrone‘s Bills staff in 2013.
Packers Denying Broncos’ Interview Request With Adam Stenavich
An interesting update has been made with regards to the Packers’ and Broncos’ new-look coaching staffs. Green Bay is reportedly blocking offensive line coach Adam Stenavich from interviewing to join Nathaniel Hackett in Denver (Twitter link via 9News’ Mike Klis).
Stenavich was named as a top candidate for the Broncos’ OC role yesterday. The 38-year-old has spent the last three seasons in Green Bay, so it would make perfect sense if he was the preferred choice for Hackett. That would especially be true, given Stenavich’s relative inexperience, considering the fact that Hackett will be handling play-calling duties.
However, the news that Stenavich will not be interviewing in Denver suggests that he is in the running to get promoted to the OC position in Green Bay. Indeed, The Athletic’s Jason Wilde tweets that HC Matt LaFleur has publicly stated he would never block a position coach from leaving for a promotion – which all coaches have recently been prohibited from doing anyway. As such, he adds, “this points to Stenavich being told that he’ll be Hackett’s replacement”.
The other main in-house option for the Packers, when it comes to the OC role, is quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy. Externally, the candidates linked to the job so far are Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger and Eagles QB coach Brian Johnson. Today’s news, though, certainly signals that those three are not being considered favorites for the job as of now.
Packers Interview Bolts’ Kevin Koger For OC Job, Plan To Meet With Eagles’ Brian Johnson
After three years with Nathaniel Hackett as Matt LaFleur‘s right-hand man on offense, the Packers must find a replacement. A day after Hackett became the Broncos’ head coach, they are interviewing external candidates.
The Packers have interviewed Chargers tight ends coach Kevin Koger for their offensive coordinator job, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson is expected to interview as well. The team is still considering in-house staffers Luke Getsy (QBs coach) and Adam Stenavich (offensive line) for Hackett’s old job.
Koger is just 32 but was with the Packers for two years. The former Michigan tight end worked as a quality control staffer in Green Bay from 2019-20. The Chargers hired him as their tight ends coach last year. Koger would be an unlikely fit, based on his experience, at this point. That said, the Broncos also plan to meet with Koger about their OC vacancy, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). Interviews at this juncture of Koger’s career certainly reveal a positive view of the young assistant.
Johnson, 34, has only been an NFL assistant for one season, coming to Philadelphia in 2021. But he was a college offensive coordinator at three schools — Utah, Houston and Florida — and landed his first OC gig when he was just 25. Johnson oversaw the Gators’ offense in 2020, helping Kyle Pitts break through to become the highest-drafted tight end in the common draft era.
Getsy and Stenavich have each drawn outside OC interest. The Broncos are expected to interview Stenavich for their OC gig, while the Bears are targeting Getsy — to the point an offer is expected — for their play-calling gig under Matt Eberflus. Green Bay’s OC role does not come with play-calling responsibilities, with LaFleur performing that role.
Bears Eyeing Packers’ Luke Getsy For OC
The Packers might lose another key offensive coach this offseason. After Nathaniel Hackett bolted for Denver, quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy is receiving outside offensive coordinator interest.
The Bears are targeting Getsy for their OC job under Matt Eberflus, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets, noting that an offer is out to Getsy for the job. Getsy is indeed the clubhouse leader for Chicago’s OC gig, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Bears would still need to meet with a minority candidate to satisfy the Rooney Rule before moving forward here.
Getsy, 37, also interviewed for the Broncos’ HC job. He has not yet been linked to following Hackett to Denver. Instead, Hackett has targeted Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich for that job. Stenavich may have another option, should Getsy leave. The Packers will likely have to choose between promoting Getsy or Stenavich, Silverstein tweets, in the wake of Hackett’s departure. The other seemingly would be an offensive coordinator elsewhere. Stenavich would be a non-play-calling OC in Green Bay or Denver, with Hackett expected to call plays for the Broncos.
Chicago also expressed interest in Eagles passing-game coordinator Kevin Patullo for its OC role. Patullo and Eberflus worked together in Indianapolis. Getsy and Eberflus do not have a similar connection, with Getsy’s entire NFL body of work coming in Green Bay. Getsy worked his way up from the quality control level and has been with the Packers for most of the past eight seasons, the past three as QBs coach.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/27/22
Today’s reserve/futures deals around the NFL:
Green Bay Packers
- DL Jack Heflin
Miami Dolphins
- WR DeVonte Dedmon
New England Patriots
- G Drew Desjarlais
New York Giants
Broncos Hire Nathaniel Hackett As Head Coach
The first domino has fallen in the 2022 head coaching hiring cycle. The Broncos have hired Nathaniel Hackett as their new head coach, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
Hackett, 42 has been the offensive coordinator in Green Bay since 2019. While he hasn’t handled play-calling duties during that time, he is credited to a large degree with the high level of play QB Aaron Rodgers has sustained well into his thirties, and the Packers’ three-straight 13-win seasons.
Prior to his time in Green Bay, he had established himself as one of the best young offensive minds in the league during stints in Buffalo and Jacksonville. He interviewed with the Jaguars once already, and had a second meeting scheduled for today. That sped up the hiring process for Broncos general manager George Paton, who “stepped in Wednesday night to get a deal done”, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Hackett will take on a HC role for the first time in his career, both at the college and NFL levels. Meanwhile, he marks the fourth coach hired by Denver since 2016, a stretch that includes five consecutive losing seasons. The offense-based background for Hackett represents a departure from that of the recently-fired Vic Fangio, as well as Dan Quinn, the Cowboys’ DC who has been the hottest name in this year’s hiring cycle and was a finalist for this job.
For the Packers, QB coach Luke Getsy, who also interviewed in Denver, is the favorite to take over as their OC. Meanwhile, this news strengthens the case for Byron Leftwich to get the Jacksonville gig.
Here’s how Denver’s HC search ended up looking:
- Eric Bieniemy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/21
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/20
- Jonathan Gannon, defensive coordinator (Eagles): Interviewed 1/19
- Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interviewed 1/13
- Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator (Packers): Hired
- Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Interviewed 1/19
- Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Cowboys): Interviewed 1/18
- Kevin O’Connell, offensive coordinator (Rams): Finalist
- Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Cowboys): Finalist
Be sure to check in on our Head Coach Search Tracker for all the latest updates as more vacancies begin to be filled.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/26/22
Here are Wednesday’s futures deals:
Green Bay Packers
- WR Rico Gafford, CB Kiondre Thomas
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Latest On Packers’ Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers isn’t interested in sticking around for a Packers rebuild. However, out of respect for his teammates, Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future sooner rather than later. 
[RELATED: Rodgers Won’t Stay For Packers Rebuild]
“I’d like to be respectful of the organization,” Rodgers said in his weekly spot on “The Pat McAfee Show.” (h/t Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com) “One decision that will be upcoming will be obviously Davante Adams and his future with the team. There still is this thing called a franchise tag, which I don’t think ’17’ wants the franchise. [But,] I think that should be enough time to make a decision by then. I don’t want to put myself on a specific date, but I do want to be sensitive to Davante and many other guys who have decisions to make on their own futures. To drag it out past free agency would be disrespectful to the organization and to those guys, and that 100% will not happen.”
Rodgers, 38, doesn’t “have a fear of retirement,” nor does he have any additional hints to share on what he’ll do. Even after last year’s back-and-forth over his contract, he’s still under club control through 2023, so he won’t be able to go elsewhere in the spring.
The Packers are projected to be ~$45MM over the cap, not including a potential megadeal or tag for Adams. Tagging Adams would cost roughly $20MM and even a multi-year deal wouldn’t shave all that much off of his ’22 hit. Whether Adams likes it or not, the Packers are preparing to use the tag to retain Adams. From there, they’ll have until mid-July to discuss a longer arrangement.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/25/22
Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:
Arizona Cardinals
- P Nolan Cooney
Green Bay Packers
- QB Kurt Benkert, WR Chris Blair, CB Kabion Ento, QB Danny Etling, S Innis Gaines, LB La’Darius Hamilton, C Michal Menet, K J.J. Molson, OL Cole Van Lanen, LB Ray Wilborn
Miami Dolphins
- DB D’Angelo Ross
New England Patriots
Tennessee Titans
- DB Shyheim Carter, DB Rodney Clemons, LB Nate Hall
Updated 2022 NFL Draft Order
The Divisional Round has come to end, and after each game was decided on the final play, the season has come to a bitter end for another four teams. That brings the total number of squads locked into their first round draft position to 28. Interestingly, the Rams and 49ers are still standing after they each parted ways with top draft picks this past offseason. San Francisco’s first choice is currently slated to be 61st overall, while the Rams aren’t projected to be on the board until the 101st pick. For Los Angeles in particular, the decision is certainly paying off so far.
For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2021 standings, plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. For playoff teams, the order is determined by their postseason outcome and regular season record.
Here is the updated order after this weekend’s results:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-14
- Detroit Lions: 3-13-1
- Houston Texans: 4-13
- New York Jets: 4-13
- New York Giants: 4-13
- Carolina Panthers: 5-12
- New York Giants(via Bears)
- Atlanta Falcons: 7-10
- Denver Broncos: 7-10
- New York Jets (via Seahawks)
- Washington Football Team: 7-10
- Minnesota Vikings: 8-9
- Cleveland Browns: 8-9
- Baltimore Ravens: 8-9
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Dolphins)
- Philadelphia Eagles (via Colts)
- Los Angeles Chargers: 9-8
- New Orleans Saints: 9-8
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-8
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7-1
- New England Patriots: 10-7
- Las Vegas Raiders: 10-7
- Arizona Cardinals: 11-6
- Dallas Cowboys: 12-5
- Buffalo Bills: 11-6
- Tennessee Titans: 12-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 13-4
- Green Bay Packers: 13-4
- Cincinnati Bengals: 10-7*
- Miami Dolphins (via 49ers)
- Detroit Lions (via Rams)
- Kansas City Chiefs: 12-5*
* = Remaining playoff teams