Dallas Cowboys Hackett signed with the
Dallas Cowboys in May 1981, but was released on August 24, 1981
Washington Redskins As a free agent, he signed with the
Washington Redskins on April 2, 1982. The
Redskins cut him on June 21, 1982.
New Jersey Generals Hackett signed with the
New Jersey Generals of the
United States Football League (
USFL) on November 11, 1982. He was assigned jersey number 82 and spent a significant amount of time on the injured reserve list with a broken hand as well as on the developmental squad. He was activated for game 3 of the
1983 season.
San Antonio Gunslingers He was selected by the
San Antonio Gunslingers in the 14th round (81st player selected) of the
USFL expansion draft on September 6, 1983. He would see extensive playing time for the
Gunslingers in
1984 and
1985. In these two seasons, Hackett played in 36 games and had 63 receptions for 946 yards, including eight
touchdown receptions. Due to the financial problems that the
Gunslingers incurred they released all 46 players on July 22, 1985, just minutes before the deadline to pay the players for two overdue paychecks.
Denver Broncos On May 16, 1986, Hackett signed a free agent contract with the
Denver Broncos He played in 16 regular season games and in three playoff games, including
Super Bowl XXI for the
Denver Broncos during their
1986 Season. He returned in
1987, but was released as part of the final roster reductions on September 7, 1987.
Green Bay Packers Hackett played for the
Green Bay Packers in
1987 and
1988. On Sunday, October 9, 1988, at
Milwaukee County Stadium, Hackett would catch his first and only
NFL touchdown reception from a two-yard pass thrown by
quarterback Don Majkowski in a 45–3 victory against the
New England Patriots. In early December 1988, Hackett was placed on the injured reserve list with severe back spasms. ==Personal life==