Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Mile High problems: Broncos' issues extend beyond HC Nathaniel Hackett

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 11/30/22

Although Denver is the Mile High City, head coaches may feel like they'll sink below sea level if they take the Broncos' job.

NBC Sports Peter King believes the Broncos will fire rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett after the season.

"I will be extremely surprised if he isn't one-and-done," wrote King in his Monday column.

The Broncos (3-8) letting go of Hackett is understandable. The team is last in the AFC West, possesses the league's worst scoring offense (14.3 points per game) and is the subject of national ridicule.

How bad are the Broncos? Bad enough that the NFL would take a Patrick Mahomes game out of prime time to avoid subjecting us to them, apparently.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 30, 2022

The Russell Wilson #Broncos offense is historically awful, this is how bad it is. pic.twitter.com/877tODsBBS
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 30, 2022

However, the assumption they can find a replacement who solves everything is nonsensical. The organization is a revolving door at head coach; Hackett is its fourth since 2016, leading to a belief that gaping holes exist within the organization.

"Remember, none of the good candidates really want that job," a scouting director told Heavy NFL insider Matt Lombardo.

“I think they definitely look into moving on, there’s not a lot of hope there.”
- Current #NFL GM tells me, on #Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett’s future

Much more inside my 10 Takeaways from Sunday | @HeavyOnSports https://t.co/XDv5sYrKNL
— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardoNFL) November 28, 2022

After Denver won Super Bowl 50, the Broncos missed the postseason six consecutive seasons. That's an obvious sign of an organization that is not well-run.

The Russell Wilson debacle highlights the franchise's dysfunction. General manager George Paton awarded him a gaudy five-year extension with $165 million guaranteed before he took one snap, a decision you have to believe Denver regrets at this point.

"Wilson made his 10th start of the season Sunday. For the eighth time in 10 starts, his Broncos failed to reach 17 points. Since 2000, only Akili Smith (Bengals) has had more starts in the first 12 weeks of the season without his team scoring at least 17 in any of them," writes The Athletic's Mike Sando.

Smith is considered one of the league's biggest draft busts of all time, showing how poorly Wilson has played in 10 starts. Unfortunately, his contract devours cap space, driving talented free agents away from Denver.

The Broncos need to accept that they're not in for a quick fix but a reconstruction that could take years to build, requiring more than a coaching change.

More must-reads: