Falcons Win Top OC Candidate Sweepstakes, Beat Steelers: Report
Zac Robinson, the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, was being pursued by at least six teams this offseason, including the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers were not the sweepstakes winners.
Under new head coach Raheem Morris, the Atlanta Falcons are adding Robinson as their offensive coordinator, according to a January 27 report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
According to Rapoport’s tweet, “Sources: The Falcons are hiring Rams pass-game coordinator Zac Robinson as their new OC under Raheem Morris.”
Robinson was Morris’ first choice and one of the most well-liked interviews on the OC circuit.
Apart from the Steelers, Rapoport revealed on January 26 that Robinson was contacted by the New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, and New Orleans Saints for interviews.
However, Robinson will report to Morris in Atlanta. With the Rams, the two coaches won a Super Bowl during their three seasons together.
Falcons of Atlanta appointing Zac Robinson as coordinator of offenses
Aside from the applicants vying for head coaching positions, Robinson was undoubtedly the most sought-after name in this year’s coaching class. He could have joined numerous teams upon landing. In the end, he decided to work for a head coach he knew well.
Robinson’s first NFL coaching position outside of the Rams will be this one. In 2019, he was hired by the Rams as an assistant quarterbacks coach to start his NFL coaching career. In 2020, Robinson took on the role of assistant wide receivers coach for the team. In 2021, he went back to helping with quarterbacks.
Robinson was the quarterbacks coach and coordinator for Los Angeles’ passing game during the previous two seasons.
Between 2021 and 2023, Morris and Robinson were employed by the Rams. Morris was Los Angeles’ defensive coordinator at the time.
During the 2021–2022 season, the Rams prevailed in the Super Bowl.
Steelers insiders believed Robinson was a strong candidate for Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator position, despite Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin telling the media during his post-season press conference on January 18 that he preferred candidates with prior coordinator experience.
Robinson was one of three applicants the Steelers asked to interview for the position of offensive coordinator during the first two weeks of the offseason.
The Teelers Have Two Potential Offensive Coordinators Remaining
Robinson is no longer available, so the Steelers have two options for offensive coordinator: Jerrod Johnson and Thomas Brown.
Brown satisfies Tomlin’s requirement of having prior experience as an offensive coordinator. The previous season, he was the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.
Ironically, from 2020 to 22 Brown worked as Robinson’s coach with the Rams. From 2020 to 21 Brown served as Los Angeles’ running backs coach. He was the Rams’ tight end coach in 2022.
Johnson, like Robinson, has never served as an offensive coordinator, but he’s among the top candidates to be given the chance to lead the offense and call plays in the upcoming campaign. Johnson was in his first season as the quarterbacks coach of the Houston Texans in 2023.
Johnson spent 2020–21 as the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive quality control coach. In 2022, he worked as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterbacks.
Though there are now only two names on Pittsburgh’s short list for offensive coordinator—Brown and Johnson—many other candidates may still be available. NFL pundits have linked the Steelers to a number of potential head coaches, including Klint Kubiak, the coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers’ passing game.
The media has also suggested former NFL head coaches Arthur Smith and Kliff Kingsbury as potential candidates.
