The Miami Dolphins are bound to lose a quarterbacks coach with extensive offensive coordinator experience, but they are now picking one up who also has been a head coach in the professional ranks.
The Dolphins are hiring Nathaniel Hackett for their vacant quarterbacks coach position under new coach Jeff Hafley, according to a league source Thursday evening.
Hackett, 46, replaces Darrell Bevell, who held the quarterbacks coach role all four seasons of Mike McDaniel’s tenure as coach of the Dolphins.
Hackett was at the helm for the Denver Broncos in 2022 but couldn’t crack it in his lone season as a head coach, going 4-11 that season and being fired to pave the way for the Broncos to hire Sean Payton thereafter.
He got to the head coach rank in large part due to his tenure as Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator from 2019 through 2021, working with quarterback Aaron Rodgers under coach Matt LaFleur as Green Bay had three consecutive 13-win seasons, making two NFC Championship games.
After his quick stint in Denver, Hackett was reunited with Rodgers as New York Jets offensive coordinator under Robert Saleh.
He is linked to Hafley from being a defensive analyst for the Packers last season, when Hafley was defensive coordinator in Green Bay. He also has ties to new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan both from last season and his first stint with the Packers.
Before arriving in Green Bay, Hackett was offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2016 through 2018 and Buffalo Bills in 2013 and 2014. In 2015 and 2016, he was quarterbacks coach for the Jaguars. In his offense with Blake Bortles at quarterback, the 2017 Jaguars made the AFC Championship Game.
With the Dolphins, Hackett will be under Hafley and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik running the Shanahan offense.
Miami and Sullivan could decide to release quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, so Quinn Ewers, going into his second season, could be the lone returning quarterback who played in 2025. Zach Wilson is a free agent.
The Dolphins may bring in another quarterback either through free agency or the draft for competition.