An unlimited number of storylines can develop during each NFL offseason, and the media that covers the league does its best to embellish every one. As bettors, we need to do our best to keep up with all the changes, whether they’re related to free agency, off-field trouble, the draft, and for the purposes of this article, coaching changes. For 2022, perhaps the biggest story of all will revolve around the 10 new head coaches who will be pacing the sidelines. This is a huge number by league standards. However, half of them have been a head coach before, each coaching at least 28 games. The other half are rookies, and here I will be focusing on that group.
Here is a look at each of the NFL rookie coaches in 2022:
Matt Eberflus, Bears
Matt Eberflus takes over for Matt Nagy as the Bears go a different direction in their head coaching position after four declining years of Nagy’s offensive-minded approach. Eberflus was the defensive coordinator for the Colts the last four seasons, a unit not exactly ranked near the top of the league during that time. Eberflus also was linebackers coach for Dallas and Cleveland, and a college assistant since ’92 before that. This is his first head coaching gig at any level. Eberflus’ biggest hire so far was luring Luke Getsy from Green Bay, where he served as quarterbacks coach the last three years. The new offensive coordinator’s ability to develop quarterback Justin Fields and improve an offense that averaged just 18.3 points per game will be one of the keys to Eberflus’ success this season and down the road.
Nathaniel Hackett, Broncos
Another Packers offensive assistant plucked from Green Bay, Nathaniel Hackett takes over as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Hackett was the Packers’ offensive coordinator the last three seasons, a role he previously served in Jacksonville, Buffalo and at the college level. He is another first-time head coach at any level, however. Hackett has as good of a chance at immediate success as any rookie head coach in recent memory, as the defensive unit he inherits allowed just 18.9 PPG and the offense figures to get an immediate and massive boost from the addition of quarterback Russell Wilson. Denver also added former Packers tight ends coach Jason Outten as offensive coordinator and Ejiro Evero of the defending champion Rams as defensive coordinator.