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In the coming weeks, training camps will kick off across the NFL, and in no time, teams will find themselves fully immersed in the process of mastering the playbooks they will use this season.
A whopping 21 teams made changes at offensive coordinator this offseason, hoping that new play callers will help guide them into the ranks of the leagues elite.
Advertisement Of the newcomers, 17 will serve as their teams primary play caller.
If successful in making their mark on their new teams, they can set themselves on the path to head-coaching opportunities.
Meanwhile, four teams head coaches the Buffalo Bills Joe Brady, who hired Pete Carmichael as OC; Chicago Bears Ben Johnson (Press Taylor); Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid (Eric Bieniemy); and the Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay (Nate Scheelhaase) will continue to handle primary play-calling duties while assisted during the design, teaching and planning portions of the operation.
Heres a look at one pressing question facing each of this years new offensive play callers: Arizona Cardinals: Mike LaFleur Can he balance the duties of a first-time head coach and primary play caller? LaFleur landed the Cardinals job thanks largely to his association with McVay, Kyle Shanahan and his brother, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur.
But its hard to say whether he is ready for this larger role.
Just once has LaFleur served as a play caller, and that stint with the New York Jets went poorly.
The past three seasons under McVay no doubt have helped expand LaFleurs knowledge of the game and leadership.
But juggling head coaching duties and play calling can prove challenging for a rookie.
Further hampering LaFleurs efforts: a talent-deficient roster that features a pair of journeyman quarterbacks (Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew) as his top options.
The main bright spots on offense: rookie running back Jeremiyah Love, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
and tight end Trey McBride.
Atlanta Falcons: Tommy Rees Which quarterback best positions Atlanta for a rebound? After following Kevin Stefanski from Cleveland, Rees a former Notre Dame quarterback with two seasons of NFL coaching experience must help determine whether Tua Tagovailoa or incumbent Michael Penix Jr.
best fits Atlantas new scheme.
Both oft-injured and both left-handed, Tagovailoa and Penix offer intrigue.
Their competition hasnt started in earnest because Penix spent the offseason rehabbing from reconstructive knee surgery.
Training camp will help determine who can best run an offense that must help Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London reach their maximum potential.
Baltimore Ravens: Declan Doyle Can he re-energize Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense? The 30-year-old rookie play caller had some strong mentors in Sean Payton and Johnson, and he inherits one of this generations best quarterbacks in Jackson.
His task involves bringing a new approach and explosiveness to an offense that had grown stale.
The Ravens have a retooled offensive line, an aging Derrick Henry and a pass-catching unit that lacks consistent performers behind Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews.
Can the rookie wide receiver tandem of Elijah Sarratt and JaKobi Lane help provide fireworks? Advertisement Cleveland Browns: Todd Monken Can he solve the Browns never-ending quarterback carousel? After failing to land John Harbaugh, Jesse Minter, Mike McDaniel, Chris Shula, Grant Udinski and Scheelhaase as their head coach, the Browns settled on Monken, who had served as Baltimores OC the past three seasons.
One of Monkens biggest decisions centers around the teams starting quarterback.
Deshaun Watson is trying again to come back from injury and resurrect his once-promising career.
Shedeur Sanders is trying to build on his seven-game stint as a starter in 2025.
Dillon Gabriel started six games last season and also has his eyes on the job.
The Browns revamped their offensive line and wide receiving unit this offseason.
They also retooled their defense.
But Monkens ability to position one of his three quarterbacks for success could largely determine the short-term future of the franchise and possibly Monkens long-term future in Cleveland.
Can he help take Bo Nix to another level? Impressed with his work with Nix while serving as quarterbacks coach and then pass game coordinator, a few teams had Webb on their head-coaching radars.
But Payton turned over play-calling duties to the 31-year-old after reflecting on a season in which the 62-year-old struggled to help Nix consistently get into a rhythm and blew several pivotal play calls during the Broncos loss in the AFC Championship Game.
The coach hopes that expanded duties for Webb, a 2017 third-round pick who made one career NFL start, translate into growth for the Broncos offense and improvement for Nix in key areas, including accuracy, touch and aggressiveness.
If successful, Nix could continue his ascension and Denver could remain among the AFC contenders.
Detroit Lions: Drew Petzing Can he help resurrect a once-potent Lions attack? Former offensive coordinator Johnsons departure for the Bears translated into a season of regression in 2025.
Head coach Dan Campbell dismissed John Morton after one season and replaced him with Petzing, who most recently served as OC in Arizona.
Advertisement The Lions still have a fine collection of core players such as quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Amon-Ra St.
Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta and offensive lineman Penei Sewell, who this season switches from right tackle to left.
The real question involves Petzings ability to help re-ignite the attack despite having directed only middle-of-the-pack units in Arizona after serving as a position coach in Cleveland.
Las Vegas Raiders: Klint Kubiak How much time will he give Fernando Mendoza to develop? After helping guide Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory, rookie head coach Kubiak takes on the daunting reclamation project that is the long-suffering Raiders.
Blessed with the No.
1 pick, Las Vegas drafted Heisman Trophy winner Mendoza, but Raiders brass wants to develop the prized prospect behind 37-year-old Kirk Cousins rather than rush him into action with a shaky supporting cast.
It will take some time for a revamped offensive line to jell and for a young receiving unit to develop.
Kubiak will work to establish a strong running game anchored by Ashton Jeanty that will help ease pressure on either quarterback.
Will Mendoza make his debut midway through the year, or will the Raiders practice even more patience? Los Angeles Chargers: Mike McDaniel Can he help Justin Herbert and the Chargers get over the hump? Since entering the league in 2020, Herbert has ranked among the best young passers.
But he and the Chargers hit the wild-card wall in three of the past four seasons.
And since 2020, no quarterback has taken more sacks than Herbert (225).
In search of answers, Jim Harbaugh hired former Miami Dolphins head coach McDaniel.
His energy and creativity feel like a good fit.
Hell use a heavy dose of pre-snap motions to help manipulate defenses and put the offense in favorable positions.
The OC will also stress a strong running game and getting the ball out of Herberts hands quickly to spare him some of the punishment he has suffered thus far in his career.
Miami Dolphins: Bobby Slowik Can he further develop Malik Willis into a full-time starter? The Dolphins fired McDaniel, released Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle.
New coach Jeff Hafley, who served as defensive coordinator in Green Bay, retained the services of Slowik, who assisted McDaniel last season but didnt call plays.
Slowik draws the task of maximizing the skills of new quarterback Willis, who shined in relief duty for Green Bay and, despite having never served as a full-time starter, inked a three-year, $67.5 million deal with Miami.
Slowik has worked with young quarterbacks and had some success in Year 1 with C.J.
Stroud in Houston, but he struggled to adjust to defenses in Year 2 and then received his walking papers.
Slowik has similar philosophies to Matt LaFleur, so that should help Willis, but playmakers are limited, so the coach will have to work extra hard to position his quarterback for success.
Advertisement New York Giants: Matt Nagy Can he develop Jaxson Dart into a talented NFL quarterback? Nagy landed the Giants offensive coordinator job thanks largely to the success he achieved in two stints with the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
New head coach John Harbaugh and Giants brass believe they have a promising prospect in Dart, who went 4-8 as a starter last season but remains very raw.
Nagy must help Dart improve his accuracy and decision-making while also helping him learn how to find balance when it comes to using his legs to make plays and putting himself in harms way.
Nagys ability to position Dart for success hinges largely on the health of Malik Nabers, who continues to rehab from an ACL tear that required surgery and robbed him of 13 games last season.
Without the teams go-to receiver, Nagy will have to work even harder to create high-percentage throwing opportunities despite working with a collection of receivers who lack game-changing ability.
New York Jets: Frank Reich Can he help Geno Smith recapture his Pro Bowl form? After the failed Justin Fields experiment last season, the Jets orchestrated a reunion with Smith, hoping their 2013 second-round pick can duplicate the effectiveness he displayed during three seasons as a starter in Seattle.
Smith led the NFL in completion percentage in 2022 and helped Seattle reach the playoffs.
He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2022 and 2023.
After joining Pete Carroll in Las Vegas last season, Smith saw his effectiveness wane dramatically as he went 2-13 and led the NFL with 17 interceptions.
So, which Geno are the Jets getting? Coach Aaron Glenn and the Jets hope for the Seattle version.
Desperate for improvement over a rocky Year 1, Glenn overhauled his coaching staff and hired former NFL head coach Reich as his OC.
Can Reich help Smith rebound again? Smith will have a stronger supporting cast with New York than he did in Las Vegas.
Perhaps Reichs direction and pass catchers led by Garrett Wilson can translate positively.
Does he know enough to help restore Jalen Hurts and the Eagles to dominant form? In one year, the Eagles offense went from a pick-your-poison attack that helped Philadelphia win the Super Bowl to a sputtering three-and-out machine.
All of the same stars returned last season from that prolific 2024 campaign, but offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had departed for the New Orleans Saints head job, and neither his replacement, Kevin Patullo, nor head coach Nick Sirianni had the answers.
Dysfunction replaced dominance.
A.J.
Brown couldnt hide his displeasure and ultimately forced his way out of Philly, and a year after winning Super Bowl MVP honors, Hurts drew heavy scrutiny.
Continuing the leaguewide trend of hiring young, unproven offensive coordinators, Sirianni turns to Mannion in hopes that this Matt LaFleur disciple can help restore balance, effectiveness and greater unpredictability to the Eagles offense.
Mannion has just two seasons of coaching experience (offensive assistant in 2024, quarterbacks coach in 2025) to his name, however.
Does he have the in-depth insight and creativity needed to solve all of the Eagles ills? Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike McCarthy Can he and Aaron Rodgers lead the Steelers back to preeminence? Although 42, Rodgers still put up solid numbers in his first season with the Steelers.
But a playoff victory again eluded the franchise.
Mike Tomlin resigned, and Pittsburgh hired a figure from Rodgers past to help it make another run at contention.
Advertisement McCarthy will now try to infuse an anemic offense with life and better take advantage of the support of the Steelers generally stingy defense.
Maintaining a quality relationship with Rodgers ranks among McCarthys top priorities.
(Frictions between the two ended the coachs time in Green Bay.) Directing an overhauled offensive line to better protect Rodgers also carries great importance.
McCarthy also must figure out how to get the most out of wide receivers DK Metcalf and newcomer Michael Pittman Jr., and young running back Jaylen Warren.
Seattle Seahawks: Brian Fleury Can he ensure a seamless transition for Sam Darnold and Company? Darnold continued his career revival with the Seahawks, but Seattles offense has undergone significant change this offseason.
Gone is Kubiak, and so, too, is running back Kenneth Walker III, who earned Super Bowl MVP honors and then signed with the Chiefs.
Seattle coach Mike Macdonald hired former San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach Fleury as offensive coordinator, hoping that familiarity will serve Darnold and his teammates well.
Fleury, like Kubiak, is a Shanahan disciple and was on San Franciscos staff when Darnold played there as a backup to Brock Purdy.
The strong similarities in philosophies could help save the Seahawks from starting over completely on offense.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zac Robinson Can his attack thrive without a true No.
1 wide receiver? Robinson helped revive Baker Mayfields career during Mayfields brief stint with the Rams (2022), so Robinson and the Bucs QB have a rapport already.
But Tampa Bays offense has a big hole to fill with Mike Evans now in San Francisco.
At 30, Chris Godwin owns the distinction of position room leader.
But injuries have diminished his impact the past two seasons.
Emeka Egbuka delivered an impressive rookie season, and fellow young targets Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson seemingly have much to offer.
Rookie Ted Hurst III aims to force his way into the mix as well.
Robinson has said his goal involves spreading the ball around, but Mayfield certainly needs a go-to guy.
Tennessee Titans: Brian Daboll Can he simplify the offense enough to help Cam Ward ascend? As a rookie, 2025 No.
1 pick Ward completed just 59.8 percent of his passes (31st in the league) while sporting a passer rating of 80.2 (31st) as the Titans ranked 31st in total offense and 30th in points scored.
Robert Saleh tabbed former Giants coach and Bills OC Daboll to help Ward blossom.
However, Ward struggled during his introduction to Dabolls offense during the spring practices.
He and his new play caller have work to do as soon as training camp kicks off.
Can the rookie play caller better protect Jayden Daniels? Kliff Kingsbury positioned Daniels for great success as a rookie, but he did little to evolve the offense, and the QB endured a battered and bruised Year 2.
Washington went from the NFC Championship Game to 5-12.
Coach Dan Quinn opted against experienced replacements for Kingsbury and instead elevated assistant quarterbacks coach Blough, 30, to OC.
Blough played under Ben Johnson in Detroit and Kevin OConnell in Minnesota.
He aims to design an attack that better supports Daniels with an upgraded rushing attack and better use of play action and RPOs to keep defenders off balance.
But will a lack of experience hinder the third-year coach?.