Packers’ Top OC Options for Aaron Rodgers amid Rumors Broncos Hire Hackett to Be HC

The Denver Broncos are reportedly hiring Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as their next head coach.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the Broncos zeroed in on Hackett and offered him the job just hours before he was set for a second interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Hackett has been the Packers' offensive coordinator for the last three seasons. Green Bay is set to enter an offseason filled with uncertainty on the offensive side of the ball, with Aaron Rodgers contemplating his future in football and Davante Adams set to be a free agent.

Hackett's departure, while expected, adds another monkey wrench to the Packers' planning for 2022. 

Green Bay's most obvious candidate to replace Hackett—and the overwhelming favorite—is quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The 37-year-old also interviewed for the Broncos' head-coaching job and has drawn praise from Adams and others for his work in Green Bay. 

Getsy has been an offensive assistant with the Packers seven of the last eight seasons, with only a one-year stop in Mississippi State as offensive coordinator (2018) breaking up his tenure. 

If Matt LaFleur winds up going in a different direction for his next coordinator, Getsy would be a prime candidate to follow Hackett and become his OC in Denver. The Packers head coach indicated he plans to promote from within for the position, leaving offensive line coach/run game coordinator Adam Stenavich as the other top candidate.

Stenavich, 38, is a Wisconsin native who moved into coaching after his playing career ended in 2010. He served as an offensive line coach at Northern Arizona and San Jose State before moving to the NFL as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers and Packers. 

LaFleur's decision may boil down to what type of offense he envisions having in the immediate future. Rodgers returning and the Packers attempting to run it back for a Super Bowl run in 2022 would favor Getsy, who could essentially keep the same system as last season. 

If the feeling in Green Bay is that Rodgers will depart this offseason, Stenavich may be the prudent choice. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon are set to return as building blocks of a stellar running game, and installing a ground-and-pound system under Stenavich could ease the transition for Jordan Love.