Jaguars can now meet with HC candidate Nathaniel Hackett for 2nd time

After a disappointing loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the division round of the 2021 NFL playoffs, the Green Bay Packers season has come to an end. That means that offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is free to interview for any head coaching vacancies any time he wants. The Jacksonville Jaguars should go ahead and arrange a second meeting with him.

As of this writing, the Jags haven’t announced they will be having a second interview with Hackett but now that the Packers’ season is over, he will have plenty of time to schedule one. Keep in mind that Jacksonville isn’t the only club interested in his services. He’s also applied for the Chicago Bears’, Minnesota Vikings’, and Dever Broncos’ head coaching openings. Back when it was announced the Jaguars were planning to interview Hackett, he said it was an honor to be considered for the opportunity, via the Florida Times-Union.

"It’s absolutely an honor to be even considered for something like this… so we’re going to do it during the bye because we wrapped up that No. 1 seed. It’s a dream for any football coach to have an opportunity to potentially become a head coach"

If the Jaguars see Hackett as a favorite to get their head coaching job, they need to move fast set an interview as soon as possible. Otherwise, they run the risk of losing him to the Bears, Vikes, or Broncos.

The Jaguars need to meet with Nathaniel Hackett but can’t go off-script.

So far, the Jaguars have only conducted a second interview with Indianapolis Colts head coach Matt Eberflus, who has gotten a strong push from general manager Trent Baalke. This doesn’t mean the organization has zeroed in on him. Simply, Hackett and other candidates such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles haven’t been available because their teams are still in contention… at least until yesterday.

Now, that the Packers are out of the playoffs, Hackett will have plenty of time to complete his interviews and while it’s true that the Jags need to arrange a second meeting with him, they can’t deviate from their process. If he’s their favorite to land their job, they shouldn’t overthink and must make a strong push for him. On the other hand, if they are waiting for Leftwich, they can’t settle on someone else and need to wait for him.

Former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell are not expected to emerge as finalists for the Jaguars’ opening, per John Reid of Florida Times-Union. Also, the team hasn’t scheduled a second interview with former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell even though they can. It will be interesting to see if they get one.

While the Jaguars’ search for a new head coach has been relatively quiet over the last few days, it could pick up some steam at any time. Soon, we’ll find out who they see as the best fit for the job.