ENGLEWOOD — When Nathaniel Hackett was hired as the Broncos’ head coach 297 days ago, he never thought he’d be in this position. 

Under Hackett’s leadership, the Broncos have wildly underperformed through nine games, sitting at 3-6 with only a 3% chance of making the playoffs. His offense — which is why he was ultimately hired — is statistically the worst in the NFL, scoring a league-low 14.6 points per game. And with the 2-7 Raiders coming to town this weekend, some in Broncos Country are wondering if Hackett’s job might be on the line if he loses Sunday in a game between two of the worst teams in football. 

“I learned a long time go that you are coaching for your job every day,” Hackett said. “Every single day you come in that building, you compete, and you fight to be the best version of yourself and try to bring the best out of everybody around you. That is just how this is, and that is how I’ve always known it is.” 

Hackett’s job security is unknown. General manager George Paton told media in London three weeks ago that he “100% believes” in Hackett. But new owner/CEO Greg Penner wasn’t as clear, telling hand-selected media in London, “we’re not performing at the level we expect, but we’ve got high expectations for him in the second half.” 

So far, Hackett is 1-1 since those comments, beating the Jaguars and losing to the Titans in another offensive disaster, scoring only 10 points. And that’s the biggest knock against Hackett this season — his offense is on pace to have the worst season in 62 years. That, to Hackett, is surprising. 

“Definitely not where we are at right now, definitely not,” Hackett said when asked where he thought the offense would be at this point in the season. “There have been a lot of things that have accounted for that. As a staff, as a group, and as an offensive group, we want to be sure that we put the best grouping out there. We want to put the best plays out there that fit ‘Russ’ (QB Russell Wilson) and fit this offense. Obviously, we are still working through that because it hasn’t looked like what any of us want it to look like.”

The reason for Hackett’s offense failing can be pinned on several reasons, whether it’s a league-high injuries, Wilson’s play at quarterback, or Hackett’s playcalling. Ultimately, Hackett is likely the fall guy, with the Broncos tied to Wilson for the long-term. 

And if Hackett is fired after his first season as head coach, he’d be the 17th head coach since 1994 to be let go after only one season. If he’s fired during the season, he’d be only the third head coach to resign or be fired during their first year, joining Urban Meyer who was fired as the Jaguars’ head coach last season and Bobby Petrino, who resigned as the Falcons’ head coach in 2007. 

Oddly enough, Hackett’s opponent on Sunday, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, could also be let go in his first season. That doesn’t surprise anyone in Denver, considering McDaniels was a disaster as the Broncos’ head coach in 2009-10, being fired during the middle of his second season. Though, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times, the Raiders can’t fire McDaniels this season due to the Raiders ownership not having the money to buyout McDaniels and hire a new coach. 

That’s not an issue for the Walton-Penner group, which is the richest ownership group in the NFL. McDaniels was also Raiders owner Mark Davis’ top choice. Hackett was hired before the Walton-Penner group bought the Broncos. He’s not “their guy.”

And Hackett knows that. 

“It starts with me,” Hackett said. “We are 3-6 and we are not where we want to be. Nobody is accepting that, and that’s not the standard that we want to be. We are not scoring enough points. It’s that simple. We have to find a way to do that, so we will evaluate everything and every person across the board.”

Unless the Broncos are blown out Sunday at Mile High, it’ll be hard to move on from Hackett by Monday. There are few benefits from firing a head coach with seven games remaining. But if things keep heading in the wrong direction, maybe the Walton-Penner group pulls the trigger by season’s end, forcing the Broncos to have another coaching search. 

Either way, Hackett isn’t changing his approach. And he’s not thinking about his future. Or, at least he says he’s not. And even if he’s not, everyone else in Broncos Country is. 

“I have been doing this my whole life,” Hackett said. “Like I said, you are always coaching for your life. To me, it’s not about me, though. It has nothing to do with me. It has to do with this team, it has to do with these coaches, and it has to do with all of us coming together to find a way to win a football game that’s on Sunday. We have to come together as a group. I’m secondary. It’s about all of us uniting and coming together and beating the Raiders.”

Head coaches fired/resigned after one season since 1994:

• 1994: Pete Carroll, Jets (6-10)
• 1997: Joe Bugel, Raiders (4-12)
• 1999: Ray Rhodes, Packers (8-8)
• 2000: Al Groh, Jets (9-7)
• 2001: Marty Schottenheimer, Washington (8-8)
• 2006: Art Shell, Raiders (2-14)
• 2007: Cam Cameron, Dolphins (1-15)
• 2007: Bobby Petrino, Falcons (3-10) (resigned)
• 2009: Jim Mora, Seahawks (5-11)
• 2011: Hue Jackson, Raiders (8-8)
• 2012: Mike Mularkey, Jaguars (2-14)
• 2013: Rob Chudzinski, Browns (4-12)
• 2015: Jim Tomsula, 49ers (5-11)
• 2016: Chip Kelly, 49ers (2-14)
• 2018: Steve Wilks, Cardinals (3-13)
• 2021: Urban Meyer, Jaguars (2-11)

Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett attends a news conference after a practice session in Harrow, England, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022 ahead the NFL game against Jacksonville Jaguars at the Wembley stadium on Sunday. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Kin Cheung