Jets’ Hiring of OC Nathaniel Hackett Fuels Aaron Rodgers Rumors

Could Rodgers and Hackett reunite in New York?

As Aaron Rodgers’ future in Green Bay remains a focal point throughout the NFL this offseason, a notable coaching hire has fueled the flames of speculation.

The Jets hired former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator on Thursday, which has plenty around the league wondering whether that could lead the team to pursue Rodgers in a trade. Hackett was the offensive coordinator with the Packers from 2019 to ’21, a three-year run that saw Rodgers win two MVP awards.

New York jumped out to a promising 7–4 start to the 2022–23 season, before losing six straight games to end the year and miss the playoffs. The team ranked 29th in the league in points per game (17.4) and 25th in yards per game (318.2).

Rodgers signed a three-year contract worth over $150 million back in March, which is set to earn him nearly $60 million in 2023. If the Packers decide they want to change directions as a franchise after missing the playoffs this year, there should be no shortage of suitors for the four-time MVP. And Rodgers’ connection to (and success with) Hackett could be the spark for a potential Big Apple reunion.


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Nick Selbe
NICK SELBE

Nick Selbe is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who frequently writes about baseball and college sports. Before joining SI in March 2020 as a breaking/trending news writer, he worked for MLB Advanced Media, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. Selbe received a bachelor's in communication from the University of Southern California.