Stephen A. Smith Slams Jets’ Hiring Of Nathaniel Hackett

Football is a game of inches, and the New York Jets were inches away from being a playoff team this season.

They had some solid playmakers in the offense, with Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson both looking like legit OROY candidates.

Nonetheless, Zach Wilson‘s blatant inability to move the chains held the team back week in and week out, regardless of how good their defense was.

So, it was only normal to think that the Jets would make their offense a point of emphasis in the offseason, bringing in people who could help them get back on track ahead of next year.

Not surprisingly, they hired Nathaniel Hackett, who has a history with Robert Saleh and has found some success as an assistant.

However, the timing of this hiring couldn’t have been more wrong and suspicious, as Hackett is coming off a terrible year as the Denver Broncos’ HC, orchestrating arguably the worst offense in the league.

That’s why ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith had one of his signature rants, this time blasting the Jets for hiring Hackett:

“Here’s the reality of the situation: Nathaniel Hackett did a god-awful job in Denver this past season,” Smith said. “Could you take a break? If you’re the New York Jets, what the hell are you doing?”

.@stephenasmith is “NOT feeling” the Jets’ hiring of Nathaniel Hackett 😳 pic.twitter.com/oNjvx3IZ86

— First Take (@FirstTake) January 26, 2023

Even so, we shouldn’t pretend as they hired him because of his abilities, résumé, or his relationship with Saleh.

It’s evident that the Jets may have hired him in an attempt to get him to convince Aaron Rodgers to force a trade to New York.

Hackett and Rodgers are close friends and the future Hall of Famer has hinted about leaving Green Bay, and the Jets are one solid quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender.

A game of inches.