With NFL mandatory minicamps starting for some teams this week and organized team activities in full swing, coaches and players have begun laying the foundation for the 2024 regular season.
Nearly half of the league — 15 of 32 teams — has changed offensive coordinators since last season. That number grows to 16 if you include the Bills, who promoted Joe Brady to interim OC after firing Ken Dorsey in November, then gave him the permanent job. Offseason practices give the new assistant coaches an important opportunity to begin to install the systems their players will execute.
Here’s one pressing question facing each new offensive play-caller entering this season. We’ll address pressing questions for new defensive play-callers later this week.
Can the former Rams assistant position Kirk Cousins for the ever-elusive breakthrough?
The Falcons swung big in free agency, signing Cousins away from Minnesota on a four-year, $180 million contract. He got that deal despite the fact he is coming off Achilles surgery and owns a 1-3 playoff record in 12 seasons with the Vikings and Commanders. Robinson’s task: Design an offense that capitalizes on Cousins’ strengths and maximizes the output of tight end Kyle Pitts, running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, among others. The NFC South is wide open and Atlanta could be setup for a playoff run if Robinson can help Cousins put his postseason shortcomings behind him.
Dave Canales will juggle being head coach and offensive play-caller for the Panthers. (Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)
Can he help Bryce Young catch up to C.J. Stroud?
Landing the top pick of the 2023 draft didn’t translate into immediate success in Carolina. Frank Reich and his staff got just 11 games before being fired, after Bryce Young and his teammates sorely underperformed. Meanwhile, Stroud (the No. 2 pick) attacked the record books and led Houston to a surprise AFC South title. Now, in comes Canales as head coach and offensive play-caller. He was Geno Smith’s quarterbacks coach in Seattle and Baker Mayfield’s offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, and now is charged with putting Young on the path to greatness. Canales’ plan likely will rely heavily on the run game to ease pressure on Young as he acclimates to new pass-catching additions Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette. Brad Idzik is Carolina’s new offensive coordinator.
How will he prepare No. 1 pick Caleb Williams for high-level production quickly?
After a three-year stint as offensive coordinator in Seattle, where he helped revive Geno Smith’s career, Waldron comes to Chicago tasked with positioning Williams for franchise-changing success. Peers praise Waldron for his offensive mind and for his ability to connect with and communicate with players and fellow coaches. Gaining a strong understanding of Williams’ thought process and learning style will go a long way toward putting the rookie quarterback and a much-improved Chicago roster on the right track.
Will continuity position Joe Burrow and the Bengals for a rebound?
Head coach Zac Taylor intends to remain the primary play-caller, but he is collaborative in this process. Taylor elevated Pitcher from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator this offseason following Brian Callahan’s departure to be head coach for the Titans. Taylor is banking on continuity and a larger role for a familiar figure in Pitcher to help Burrow and the offense bounce back after an injury-riddled 2023.
Is he the man to help Deshaun Watson finally live up to expectations?
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski hasn’t said if he’ll call offensive plays or cede those duties to Dorsey. Stefanski and former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt squeezed everything they could out of Cleveland’s offense and reached the playoffs with Joe Flacco filling in for the injured Watson. But Stefanski still felt like a fresh set of eyes was necessary to help the Browns finally get a return on their $230 million and six-draft-pick investment in Watson. Dorsey, fired in Buffalo after Josh Allen and company regressed in 1 1/2 seasons under his direction, must prove he was the right choice. As quarterbacks coach, Dorsey certainly seemed good for Allen. But play-calling proved more challenging.
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Can he help the Raiders win with Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew?
The Raiders missed out on one of the top quarterbacks in April’s draft. That leaves them with O’Connell, a 2023 fourth-round pick, and journeyman Minshew as their top options. Getsy must help coach Antonio Pierce settle on a starter, then figure out how to position that selection and the offense for success. Getsy arrives from Chicago, where he failed to help Justin Fields live up to his potential. Can he achieve success while working with two more conventional quarterbacks?
How will his style fit with Justin Herbert’s?
Jim Harbaugh brought a familiar face with him to the Chargers in Roman, his 49ers offensive coordinator from 2011-14. The hope in L.A. is that Harbaugh can help Herbert continue to ascend, but Roman as OC is a curious choice; he tends to have conservative, run-heavy offenses. Lamar Jackson hit a ceiling when Roman was Ravens OC, then blossomed further after he left. How will things play out for Herbert and the Chargers? A revamped rushing attack is a certainty with Austin Ekeler gone, and Herbert also has lost top wideout Keenan Allen. Easing pressure on Herbert while further elevating his game is priority No. 1.
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How ready is Drake Maye to usher the Patriots into a new era?
Bill Belichick’s legendary run in New England has ended, and former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo is now the head coach. Mayo has tabbed Van Pelt to lead the Patriots’ offense, a task that also includes developing Maye, the No. 3 pick. The North Carolina product is believed to have all of the skills and traits necessary to shine in the NFL, but some talent evaluators view him as a bit of a project, so he may initially sit. Veteran Jacoby Brissett could wind up with interim starter duties.
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What will the Patriots offense look like with a new coordinator and quarterback?
Can he save coach Dennis Allen’s job?
The Saints expected the acquisition of Derek Carr to position them to contend for the NFC South title in 2023, but they lost the division to the Buccaneers and longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. was fired. Carr wasn’t awful — he completed 68.4 percent of his passes for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions — and the Saints ranked ninth in scoring and 14th in yards per game. New Orleans, however, went 2-6 against eventual playoff teams.
Kubiak — a member of the Shanahan coaching tree — brings an entirely different system that should capitalize on running back Alvin Kamara’s skills and provide balance to ease some pressure on Carr. Improved offensive success against top opponents is a must, especially given the pressure on Allen, who has missed the playoffs in each of his first two seasons in New Orleans.
How will he blend his own playbook with Nick Sirianni’s and position Jalen Hurts for further growth?
Hurts and the Eagles displayed great promise in their first two seasons under Sirianni, climbing to the top of the NFC in 2022 before falling short in the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Then Hurts and the Eagles’ offense regressed, and after starting the regular season 10-1 they finished 11-6 and lost 32-9 to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round. Sirianni, who had shouldered a heavy play-calling load along with his coordinators, looked outside of the organization for help. He believed Hurts and the offense could benefit from fresh ideas and tabbed Moore, previously the Cowboys (2019-22) and Chargers (2023) offensive coordinator.
Hurts has experienced rampant change during his young NFL career, playing for three different coordinators in four years. But he also had a different offensive coordinator every year in college. Moore will try to take the best elements of the Eagles’ pre-existing playbook and blend it with the best of his own in hopes of restoring an explosive attack that can position Philadelphia to contend in the NFC again.
Can Russell Wilson and/or Fields salvage their careers under Smith?
Head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan hit the reset button, moving on from Kenny Pickett after just two seasons, first acquiring Wilson and then Fields. Tomlin hired Smith, fired earlier this offseason after three seasons as Atlanta’s head coach, to breathe life into a stagnant Steelers offense. As OC in Tennessee, Smith displayed creativity that helped Ryan Tannehill produce some of his best seasons. But now he has an aging Wilson and an underdeveloped Fields to work with. Smith likes throwing the ball over the middle. Wilson struggles here and is better throwing to the outside and downfield. Fields displayed great scrambling ability in Chicago, but must grow as a passer.
Wilson is expected to be the starter despite his unceremonious dismissal from Denver. Can Smith use a strong run game to ease pressure on Wilson, as the Seahawks did for years? If that doesn’t work, how quickly can he coach up Fields to play at a high level for Pittsburgh, which hasn’t enjoyed a deep playoff run since 2016?
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Can he get even more out of Geno Smith and company?
Smith has enjoyed a career revival, becoming one of the NFL’s most efficient quarterbacks the past two seasons in Seattle. He earned Pro Bowl honors each season, but Seattle went 0-1 in the 2022 postseason and narrowly missed the playoffs last year.
Despite Smith’s effectiveness, the Seahawks offense ranked middle of the pack in most major statistical categories. The hope is that Grubb can add an element of explosiveness the unit lacked under Waldron. The Seahawks did acquire Sam Howell from Washington hoping he can develop into a long-term upgrade in the event the offense has reached its ceiling with Smith at the helm.
Will familiarity help Mayfield build on last season’s resurgence?
After a nomadic 2022 campaign with the Panthers and Rams, Mayfield found a home with Tampa Bay last season and quarterbacked the Buccaneers to an NFC South title and wild-card win. But Canales, his OC last season, is now head coach in Carolina. Todd Bowles hired former Rams offensive assistant Coen to direct the offense. His system is similar to the schemes Canales ran last season, and Coen worked with Mayfield during his brief but promising five-game stint with the Rams late in 2022. Will this familiarity lead to a relatively smooth transition? If so, repeating as NFC South champs is a realistic goal.
Tennessee’s Brian Callahan has a lot on his plate for a first-year head coach. (Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA Today)
Can the first-year head coach handle the juggling act?
Callahan never handled play-calling duties in five seasons as Bengals offensive coordinator. Yet his vision and strong organizational and communication skills impressed Titans GM Ran Carthon enough to give Callahan the head coaching job. Callahan intends to serve as primary play-caller for the Titans, and his duties also include developing second-year quarterback Will Levis while directing a roster caught in the midst of a rebuild. That’s a lot for the first-year head coach, who hired Nick Holz as his offensive coordinator.
Can he position Jayden Daniels for an impactful rookie campaign?
Regarded as a bright offensive mind, Kingsbury returns to the NFL after one season as coordinator at USC. The former Cardinals head coach kicked off his NFL career in 2019 working with Kyler Murray. Now he’s tasked with grooming another high draft pick into a franchise quarterback.
Daniels, the second pick out of LSU, has been compared to Lamar Jackson. He has a talented collection of pass catchers in Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson and tight end Zach Ertz, and two quality running backs in Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. But Washington’s offensive line is rebuilding, which could hamper Daniels. Kingsbury must work to mask the deficiencies of the unit and maximize the gifts his young passer has to offer.
(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; photos of Kliff Kingsbury, Jayden Daniels, Shane Waldron, Caleb Williams: Michael Reaves and Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)