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 Practice Squad Updates: 1/26/22
Only one practice squad move to pass along:
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: S Jarrod Wilson
- Released: S Doug Middleton
Ravens DB Anthony Levine Retires
One of the longest-tenured players in Ravens history, Anthony Levine will call it a career after 10 seasons. The veteran defensive back and special-teamer announced his retirement Wednesday.
Levine has been a vital part of Baltimore’s special teams since joining the team in 2012. The 34-year-old role player played at least 70% of the Ravens’ special teams plays in eight of his 10 Baltimore seasons.
Originally a Packers UDFA in 2010, Levine was a practice squad player when Green Bay won the Super Bowl that season. He spent the 2011 campaign on Green Bay’s P-squad as well but landed with Baltimore for the 2012 season, seeing his first game action that year. Despite not beginning his Ravens run until his third year in the league, Levine is one of a handful of players to suit up for at least 10 seasons with the franchise. Levine’s 146 career games played ranks 11th in team history.
“He worked tirelessly to become one of the NFL’s best special teams players, and he could always be relied upon to contribute at a high level on defense – no matter the role he was asked to play,” John Harbaugh said. “Most importantly, Anthony is a terrific leader of men and someone who helped his teammates become the very best versions of themselves.”
Levine finished his career with 117 tackles, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Levine will transition to a scouting role with the Ravens, who also plan to use him as an assistant coach.
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
49ers Activate Mohamed Sanu
The 49ers have activated Mohamed Sanu from the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. With that, Sanu will be eligible to play in this weekend’s NFC Championship Game against the Rams. 
The Niners haven’t seen Sanu since Week 9, when the veteran wide receiver suffered a knee injury. Before that, Sanu had just 15 catches for 177 yards across eight games. The 49ers have turned to Jauan Jennings ever since, using him as the WR3 behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
Sanu played in three games for the 49ers during the 2020 campaign, hauling in a single nine-yard catch. He was released in early October and ultimately caught on with the Lions before circling back to SF this year. At the age of 32, he’s not quite the player he once was, but he’s not that far removed from his career year in Atlanta. In 2018, Sanu finished with 66 receptions for 838 yards and four touchdowns.
If everything works out in practice, Sanu will have an opportunity to help the Niners’ cause. He could be joined by running back Trenton Cannon and safety Tavon Wilson, both of whom have been designated for return.
To make room on their 53-man roster for Sanu, the 49ers waived veteran safety Jarrod Wilson.
Eagles’ Brandon Brooks Announces Retirement
Brandon Brooks is calling it a career. On Wednesday, the Eagles guard announced that he’s retiring from the NFL at the age of 32. 
Brooks, 33 this summer, was among the league’s best interior linemen when healthy. Unfortunately, he missed all but two games this season with a torn pectoral muscle. His medical history also includes Achilles tears to both legs, with the most recent season-ender coming in 2020.
“Brooks has been one of the best right guards in the league for a long time,” teammate Lane Johnson said in September, after Brooks’ pec tear ruled him out for the year (via the Philadelphia Inquirer). “Tremendous loss for us. Having him out there, might’ve been the difference between us winning and losing.”
Earlier today, Brooks agreed to restructure his contract, reducing his cap figure from $19.4MM to $7.1MM with just $1.12MM in non-guaranteed base salary. It was purely procedural — the shuffling of Brooks’ pact will provide the Eagles with additional cap space, something they sorely needed. As of Tuesday night, the Eagles were projected to have just ~$14MM in space with Brooks slotted as their second-largest hit.
“We had a lot of communication with Brandon,” GM Howie Roseman said earlier this week (via The Athletic). “It was really important for us to make sure that Brandon Brooks ended the season healthy and to make sure that he had an offseason where he was healthy and he wasn’t rehabbing. That is the extent of our communication. I met with him at the end of the season, and you’re talking about one of the greatest players, one of the greatest guards in the history of the franchise. I have tremendous respect for him as a player and as a person. Those are the conversations we’ve had with Brandon up to this point.”
Brooks will leave the game as a multiple-time Pro Bowler, having gotten the nod in every season between 2017 and 2019. The Eagles, meanwhile, will have some mighty big shoes to fill in the middle of their offensive line.
Falcons TE Lee Smith Retires
Lee Smith managed to play tight end in the NFL for 11 seasons, despite none of those including 100 receiving yards. The well-regarded blocker announced his retirement Tuesday.
Smith spent his NFL days with the Bills, Raiders and Falcons, playing in Atlanta for one season. He will walk away after 16 games with the Falcons, having assisted in Cordarrelle Patterson‘s late-career running back breakout.
“I couldn’t feel more blessed that I get to step away on my terms,” Smith said, via AtlantaFalcons.com’s Scott Bair. “It just doesn’t happen that way very often. Yet here I am, a stiff-as-hell fifth-round draft pick who found himself a niche-y role and figured out a way to stay around.”
A 2011 Patriots draftee out of Marshall, Smith landed with the Bills via waiver claim that September. He signed a three-year, $9MM deal with the Raiders in 2015. In Oakland, Smith worked alongside a three-Pro Bowler offensive line to help Latavius Murray to a 1,000-yard season. The Raiders re-signed him in 2018, but Smith rejoined the Bills a year later — on another three-year deal worth $9MM — and was part of the team’s resurgence.
Buffalo traded Smith to Atlanta during the 2021 offseason. Although the Falcons rostered Hayden Hurst and top-five pick Kyle Pitts, Smith played 311 offensive snaps this season. Smith finished his career with 73 catches for 523 yards and 11 touchdowns.
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
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/25/22
Today’s taxi squad moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: DT Damion Square
- Released: DT Doug Costin
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Josh Gordon (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Released: K Ryan Santoso and LS Carson Tinker
- Signed: WR Warren Jackson and TE Kyle Markway
Bears To Hire Ryan Poles As GM
The Bears are in the process of hiring Chiefs assistant director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their next general manager (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The former player in Chicago is coming back, this time to lead the franchise’s front office.
Poles had gotten a request from the Bears for a second interview earlier this week. The fact that he was a finalist for the job wasn’t a surprise, given the interest he was also receiving from the Vikings and Giants. The 37-year-old was also a finalist for the GM job in Carolina last year.
Widely seen as one of the top-up-and-coming executives in the league, Poles has worked his way up the ladder in Kansas City very quickly. After starting out on the college scouting side of the franchise, he has recently worked alongside GM Brett Veach on a much wider scale. Still, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes that Poles will face “a learning curve”, given that he has yet to handle player contracts, among other things, directly. Overall, though, this is being viewed as a very smart hire, leading to optimism that the Bears can move forward from the previous Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace regime and return to playoff contention. As The Draft Scout’s Matt Miller points out (via Twitter), the Chiefs will receive one third-round compensatory pick this year and next as a result of the hire.
This news represents the second GM hire so far, after the Giants brought in Joe Schoen. With Poles hired, that leaves Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the vice president of football operations for the Browns, as the only remaining finalist for the Vikings’ GM vacancy. He is now the favorite to take over in Minnesota. Be sure to keep up to date with all the latest using our GM Search Tracker.