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Zac Robinson

Buccaneers Hire Zac Robinson As OC

By | at January 22, 2026 11:00 pm

The Buccaneers have landed on their new offensive coordinator. Zac Robinson is headed to Tampa Bay, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

This news will reunite Robinson with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield made a “big push” for Tampa Bay to acquire Robinson, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. Shortly after a follow-up interview with the Buccaneers, a deal has been struck.

Robinson was among not only the candidates who spoke once with the team for the OC gig but the finalists as well. He conducted a second interview yesterday, and Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports an agreement was reached late last night. After two years leading the Falcons‘ offense, Robinson will now take on the same responsibility in Tampa Bay.

Per Rapoport, senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese along with pass-game coordinator T.J. Yates are among the names to watch regarding Falcons staffers who could join Robinson with the Bucs. Nothing is official on that front at this time, but it is of course common for new hires to bring familiar faces with them when changing teams.

Leading up today’s news, Robinson’s future was unclear even though his Atlanta departure was expected. The Falcons cleaned house immediately after the end of the regular season, dismissing head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. On Wednesday, it was learned new HC Kevin Stefanski is expected to bring Tommy Rees with him from Cleveland to Atlanta to handle offensive coordinator duties. That confirmed Robinson would be heading elsewhere during this year’s hiring cycle.

In addition to his Bucs interviews, Robinson met with the Lions and Eagles regarding their OC openings. Detroit’s vacancy has been filled, but Philadelphia’s list of candidates has now been thinned. Robinson will become the latest in an increasingly long line of coordinators tasked with leading Mayfield and Co. in Tampa Bay. Josh Grizzard became a one-and-done staffer in that role when he was fired following the end of the 2025 season.

Prior to Grizzard’s brief tenure, Liam Coen and Dave Canales were each in place for only one year. Both of them parlayed strong campaigns as a coordinator into head coaching opportunities. Stability would be welcomed at the OC spot for the Buccaneers, a team looking to bounce back from their highly underwhelming end to this season. Grizzard’s unit ranked 21st in total offense and 18th in scoring during his lone campaign leading it.

Robinson, 39, led Atlanta to a sixth-place finish in total offense during his first season in place. The Falcons regressed in a number of ways on offense in 2025, though, prompting the sweeping changes made throughout the organization. Prior to his Atlanta stint, Robinson spent five seasons with the Rams. That included his time as Los Angeles’ quarterbacks coach in 2022, the year in which Mayfield briefly played for Los Angeles. All parties involved will hope a reunion between the two will help bring Tampa Bay back into the postseason in 2026.

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2026 NFL Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

By | at January 20, 2026 9:00 am

The 2026 head coaching carousel has now seen 10 jobs open since the start of the offseason, as the Bills have fired Sean McDermott. HC firings generally lead to coordinator changes, and several other teams have proceeded with OC or DC moves to start their offseasons. Here are the current OC and DC searches transpiring. As the remaining HC searches conclude, more coordinator searches will be added to this list.

Updated 2-1-26 (4:30pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Zac Robinson)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Todd Monken)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Joe Brady)

  • Pete Carmichael Jr., senior offensive assistant (Broncos): Hire expected

Chicago Bears (Out: Declan Doyle)

Cleveland Browns (Out: Tommy Rees)

Denver Broncos (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Detroit Lions (Out: John Morton)

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Matt Nagy)

  • Eric Bieniemy, running backs coach (Bears): Rehired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Greg Roman)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Frank Smith)

New York Giants (Out: Mike Kafka)

New York Jets (Out: Tanner Engstrand)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Kevin Patullo)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Arthur Smith)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Josh Grizzard)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Nick Holz)

Washington Commanders (Out: Kliff Kingsbury)

Defensive Coordinators

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Zach Orr)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Bobby Babich)

  • Jim Leonhard, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Hired

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Matt Eberflus)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Jeff Hafley)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Jesse Minter)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Anthony Weaver)

  • Sean Duggan, former linebackers coach (Packers): Hired
  • Clint Hurtt, defensive line coach (Eagles): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Shane Bowen)

New York Jets (Out: Steve Wilks)

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Teryl Austin)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Robert Saleh)

  • Gus Bradley, assistant head coach (49ers): Interviewed
  • Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): Hired
  • Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator (Browns): Rumored candidate
  • Joe Woods, defensive backs coach (Raiders): Interviewed

Tennessee Titans (Out: Dennard Wilson)

Washington Commanders (Out: Joe Whitt)

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Eagles Arrange Zac Robinson OC Interview

By | at January 16, 2026 12:45 pm

Zac Robinson drew extensive OC interest during the 2024 hiring period, but the Falcons are overhauling their football operation after firing Raheem Morris. Robinson is likely headed elsewhere, and he remains an interesting candidate.

After Buccaneers and Lions meetings, Robinson is set to speak with the Eagles about their OC vacancy, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Robinson will meet with Philadelphia today.

The Eagles have been connected to four former HCs for this job — Mike McDaniel, Kliff Kingsbury, Brian Daboll, Kevin Stefanski — but it is unclear if any will interview. Philly has also been mentioned as doing work on new LSU OC Charlie Weis Jr. Robinson, however, marks the first known meeting for this job.

Although Nick Sirianni is an offense-oriented coach, he has not called plays in Philly since midway through the 2021 season. The Eagles are planning to keep this setup, giving their OC hire autonomy over a talented offense — albeit one that has been known for odd-year underachievement. The Eagles fired (or perhaps demoted) Kevin Patullo this week, doing so two years after ousting Brian Johnson following his first season in the role.

Tasked with preparing Kirk Cousins to take over in 2024 while developing an entirely different passer in Michael Penix Jr., Robinson was seen as a firing candidate had Morris retained the Atlanta HC position. The Falcons ranked 24th offensively this season, one that featured Penix struggles before a season-ending injury. Though, Robinson coaxed a quality contract year from Kyle Pitts and had Bijan Robinson over 2,000 scrimmage yards — an NFL-leading 2,298 — for the first time. It would not appear Robinson will be asked back in Atlanta, but it also seems like there is enough early interest to allow for a second-chance OC post — rather than dropping back to a position coaching role.

Robinson, 39, also carries additional appeal from his background on Sean McVay‘s staff. Robinson spent five years on the Rams’ staff before following Morris to Atlanta. The Eagles have not used any ex-McVay or Kyle Shanahan staffers in their OC role just yet. Looking for their fifth OC in five years, the Eagles must interview at least one external minority candidate to comply with the Rooney Rule.

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Lions To Conduct Zac Robinson OC Interview; Team Requests Arthur Smith Meeting

By | at January 15, 2026 9:53 am

The Lions‘ search for a new offensive coordinator continues to expand. Current Falcons OC Zac Robinson is the latest candidate to line up an interview.

Robinson will speak with Detroit today about the position, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That makes two teams interested in his case. The Buccaneers have already interviewed Robinson for their OC opening. With a Todd Monken reunion seemingly unlikely, Tampa Bay could show continued interest in his case.

The Falcons in the process of finding a new head coach and general manager. Once Raheem Morris‘ replacement is in place, several new staffers will no doubt be brought in. Knowing a change of scenery is likely, Robinson is exploring his options on the coaching market. A Lions agreement would make plenty of sense in his case.

From 2019-23, Robinson worked on the Rams’ staff. That time included a pair of seasons working alongside quarterback Jared Goff. A Detroit hire would thus pave the way for a reunion between Robinson and Goff with the Lions looking to rebound from a poor showing during John Morton‘s one-and-done campaign in the offensive coordinator role.

Detroit is also among the teams interested in Arthur Smith. An interview request has been submitted for the Steelers OC, Rapoport reports. Smith has been connected to multiple head coaching openings, but a lateral move to a new coordinator gig could be in store as well. Pittsburgh will have a new head coach relatively soon, so considerable movement elsewhere on the staff is likely.

Smith’s tenure as head coach of the Falcons produced three straight 7-10 seasons, but it was preceded by a Titans OC gig which boosted his stock. For the past two seasons, the 43-year-old has called plays for the Steelers. Pittsburgh has finished 16th and 15th in scoring during Smith’s time with the team. Stronger production would be expected in the case of the Lions, a team which flourished under Ben Johnson and is looking to duplicate his level of success.

Detroit has previously been linked to Jake Peetz and Tee Martin as OC candidates. The Lions have also set up interviews with former head coaches in the form of Mike McDaniel and Mike Kafka. Robinson’s meeting will add to the list of targets, and it will be interesting to see if Smith pursues an interview amongst head coaching interest.

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Buccaneers Interview Falcons OC Zac Robinson; Bucs Interested In Ravens’ Todd Monken

By | at January 10, 2026 12:09 pm

Two days since firing offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, the Buccaneers have discussed the position with multiple candidates. They held a virtual interview with Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Greg Auman of FOX Sports reports. Along with Robinson, the Buccaneers have already spoken with former Titans head coach Brian Callahan.

The Falcons don’t have a head coach, which puts Robinson’s future with the organization in question, but it’s notable that they allowed him to interview elsewhere. The team previously blocked the Cowboys from interviewing defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich for the same role.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank has made it known that his preference is for Ulbrich to keep his job under the club’s next head coach. Although Robinson could join the NFC South rival Buccaneers, it doesn’t seem Blank is as attached to him as he is to Ulbrich.

An NFL quarterback from 2010-13, Robinson began his coaching career with Sean McVay‘s Rams in 2019. He spent his first season with the team as an assistant quarterbacks coach. That proved to be Jared Goff‘s last year as the Rams’ signal-caller. The Rams traded him to the Lions in a deal for Matthew Stafford during the ensuing offseason.

Robinson shifted to assistant wide receivers coach in 2020 before moving back to his assistant QBs coach role in 2021, a Super Bowl-winning campaign for the Rams. He then earned a promotion to pass game coordinator/QBs coach, responsibilities he held from 2022-23.

When former Rams assistant Raheem Morris took over as the Falcons’ head coach in 2024, he brought Robinson with him to Atlanta as his O-coordinator. Morris is now out after combining for a 16-18 record in two seasons. The 39-year-old Robinson could follow him out the door soon.

The Falcons’ Robinson-coached offense finished 23rd in points and yards in 2024, but it improved to 19th and 15th, respectively, in those categories this season. Robinson assisted in a first-team All-Pro season for running back Bijan Robinson and a second-team All-Pro campaign for tight end Kyle Pitts, but a knee injury cost No. 1 wide receiver Drake London five games. That didn’t help matters, and nor did lackluster play at quarterback.

Although the Falcons made major investments in both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., neither has performed all that well in two years under Robinson. Since the firing of Morris, he and Robinson have drawn criticism for failing to make better use of Penix’s arm strength.

If Tampa Bay hires him, Robinson would inherit a better QB situation with Baker Mayfield, with whom he’d reunite. Robinson and Mayfield briefly worked together in LA when the latter was trying to revive his career in 2022. He’s now locked in as the Bucs’ starter.

Despite a disappointing season that ended without a playoff berth, the Buccaneers’ offense still features some strong pieces beyond Mayfield. However, wide receiver Mike Evans may retire or leave in free agency, and tight end Cade Otton is also without a contract for 2026.

Meanwhile, Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan will return at wideout. So will tight running back Bucky Irving. After a terrific rookie year in 2024, Irving took a sizable step backward this season. It didn’t help that standout O-linemen Cody Mauch, Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke missed significant time with injuries.

While Robinson may work with at least some of those players in 2026, the Buccaneers haven’t just eyed him and Callahan. They’ve also shown reported interest in former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase. Ravens O-coordinator Todd Monken‘s name has also come up in connection to the Buccaneers. The Bucs will indeed have “big interest” in Monken if he doesn’t end up with a head coaching job, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Monken interviewed for the Browns’ HC opening on Saturday.

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Buccaneers Fire OC Josh Grizzard

By | at January 8, 2026 10:57 pm

As expected, the Buccaneers will have another new offensive coordinator for the 2026 season. Josh Grizzard is out after one season, as first reported by Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Head coach Todd Bowles will remain in place for a fifth season at the helm of Tampa Bay. Changes at the OC spot were recently named as something to watch for, though. Today’s news confirms the Bucs will have a fifth new offensive coordinator in as many years. Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis is also being let go, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. He had been in place for each of Baker Mayfield‘s three Bucs seasons.

For much of last year’s hiring cycle, it appeared as though Liam Coen would stay with the Buccaneers. He ultimately landed the Jaguars’ head coaching gig, however, which created another OC vacancy in Tampa Bay. Grizzard was promoted to the role, having spent the 2024 campaign as the team’s pass-game coordinator. Expectations were high based on the familiarity in Grizzard’s case, but especially late in the season things did not go as planned for Tampa Bay.

After a 6-2 start, the Buccaneers were unable to maintain their lead in the standings upon returning from their bye week. The team wound up 8-9 and on the wrong side of a three-way tiebreaker to determine top spot in the NFC South. Questions about Bowles’ job security were raised down the stretch, but the Bucs have opted for stability at the HC spot. His attention will now turn to the latest edition of his annual offensive coordinator searches.

Grizzard’s unit ranked 18th in the NFL in scoring and 21st in total offense. Injuries up front and at the skill positions were a common theme throughout the season, but improved consistency will be sought out by his replacement. Grizzard, 35, began his coaching career at the college ranks in 2012. His first NFL stint came with the Dolphins and lasted seven years. A two-year run in Tampa Bay followed, but he now joins the list of ex-OCs on the open market.

Per Rapoport, a trio of names are worth watching with respect to potential Grizzard replacements: Rams passing game specialist Nate Scheelhaase, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Falcons OC Zac Robinson. Scheelhaase interviewed with Tampa Bay for the position last year, whereas Monken served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2016-18. His status in Baltimore is uncertain at the moment as the Ravens seek out their John Harbaugh replacement.

Robinson is still in place with the Falcons at the moment, but a new head coach-general manager tandem is yet to be hired. Once that takes place, it would come as little surprise if a reset at the coordinator spots were to follow. That would leave Robinson among the coordinators on the lookout for a new opportunity. In any case, Grizzard’s attention will now turn to his coaching prospects as the 2026 landscape takes shape.

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Latest On Falcons’ Firings Of Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris

By | at January 7, 2026 9:36 pm

Although the Falcons ended the season on a four-game winning streak, it was not enough to save general manager Terry Fontenot or head coach Raheem Morris. Hours after wrapping up an 8-9 season, the Falcons fired the duo on Sunday night.

There was cautious optimism on the Falcons’ staff that the club’s late surge would prevent a housecleaning, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. However, that small sample of success came after the Falcons had already been eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. It wasn’t enough to convince owner Arthur Blank to give Fontenot or Morris another shot in 2026.

Blank’s Falcons have now gone eight straight years without earning a postseason berth. Fontenot was atop the team’s front office for five of those seasons, all of which ended with either seven or eight wins.

Morris had a shorter leash than Fontenot, lasting just two seasons as Arthur Smith‘s successor. He received his walking papers after overseeing back-to-back 8-9 campaigns.

Fontenot’s handling of the quarterback position helped lead to his undoing in Atlanta. The move to sign Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal with $100MM guaranteed in March 2024 backfired. Fontenot took the gamble just five months after Cousins’ last season with the Vikings ended with a torn Achilles. In reworking Cousins’ contract on Tuesday, the Falcons all but guaranteed that they’ll release the 37-year-old sometime in the next two months.

Atlanta pulled the plug on Cousins as its starter late in his first season with the team. Fontenot stunningly used the eighth overall pick on former Indiana and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. mere weeks after signing Cousins. With Cousins posting lackluster production and struggling to stay healthy in his first 14 starts in 2024, Morris replaced him with Penix.

While Penix retained the job this year, he underwhelmed before his season ended with a partially torn left ACL in Week 11. It added to a long line of health woes for the left-handed Penix, who tore his right ACL twice and suffered season-ending injuries to both shoulders in college. His most recent knee injury “dinged Fontenot’s draft profile a bit,” Fowler writes.

When healthy, Penix hasn’t necessarily looked the part of a franchise passer. The 25-year-old has put up a 59.6 completion percentage with 7.2 yards per attempt, 12 touchdowns, six interceptions and an 85.8 rating in 14 games. However, Morris’ firing may give Penix a better chance to unlock his potential.

In speaking with “multiple scouts and coaches,” Fowler heard that the Falcons’ offense under Morris and coordinator Zac Robinson wasn’t the right fit for Penix. The scheme didn’t make good enough use of his arm strength, those individuals told Fowler.

With Fontenot and Morris gone, it’ll be up to a new regime to decide how to proceed with Penix. The Falcons haven’t found a franchise QB since Matt Ryan‘s 14-year run as their signal-caller ended in 2021. Five years later, Ryan is likely to return to Atlanta as its president of football operations. In taking on that position, Ryan would have plenty of say over Penix’s future.

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Falcons OC Zac Robinson Expected To Be A Top Choice For OSU’s Head Coaching Job

By | at September 28, 2025 9:26 am

In December, we learned Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson would have been Oklahoma State’s top choice to replace head coach Mike Gundy if Gundy had not accepted a contract restructure to remain with the program. Now, after back-to-back embarrassing defeats, Gundy is out as Oklahoma State’s HC, and Robinson is again on the radar. 

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Robinson is on the “very short list” of candidates for Gundy’s job, which Gundy held for over 20 seasons. Now 38, Robinson played collegiately under Gundy, serving as OSU’s starting quarterback from 2007-09. One of Robinson’s former college teammates, Dez Bryant, quickly took to social media after Gundy’s ouster to advocate for Robinson as the long-time coach’s replacement.

Rapoport makes clear that, as of the time of his report, there has been no contact between Robinson and OSU, which has hired a search firm to aid in its quest for its next permanent head coach. And even if the search takes an expected turn in Robinson’s direction, there could be complications.

For instance, although national signing day is not until February, most high school stars commit to colleges in December, at which point the Falcons’ season will still be ongoing. So while Robinson could hire a staff to do the bulk of the recruiting work, he would be pulling double duty for a time, and the recruits may not have as much contact with their prospective head coach as they would like.

The situation would be difficult, but not unprecedented. As Rapoport points out, then-Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis charted a similar course when he was hired as Notre Dame’s head coach during the 2004 season (of course, the collegiate landscape has changed dramatically over the last two decades).

For now, Robinson will attempt to get the Falcons’ offense and second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. back on track. After a solid Week 1 effort against the Bucs, Penix has completed 31 of 57 passes (54.4% completion rate) for 307 yards and zero touchdowns against two interceptions in his last two games combined. The team was blanked in a 30-0 drubbing at the hands of the Panthers in Week 3.

It is unclear what an inability to right the ship will do to Robinson’s status with OSU, though it will obviously damage his NFL stock. Like many Sean McVay disciples, Robinson became a popular name in coaching circles not long after he joined McVay’s Rams staff as assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019. He attracted OC interest from the Chargers and Ravens in 2023 and was one of the most popular names in the 2024 cycle, drawing OC interview requests from the Bucs, Bears, Patriots, Raiders, Saints, and Steelers in addition to the Falcons.

In his first year in charge of the Atlanta offense, which was quarterbacked first by Kirk Cousins and then by Penix, Robinson’s unit finished sixth in yards per game and 13th in points per game.

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Coaching Notes: Robinson, Bears, Jets, Rams

By | at December 11, 2024 11:28 am

Zac Robinson is in his first season as an NFL offensive coordinator, quickly moving to the Falcons once Raheem Morris landed the team’s HC job. Other clubs showed interest in Robinson for OC posts as well. Before Robinson entered the coaching ranks, however, he played quarterback at Oklahoma State. Robinson started three seasons with the Cowboys, playing under longtime coach Mike Gundy. Had the latter not agreed to a recent contract restructure, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes Robinson was the school’s top replacement choice. Robinson, 41, started for the Big 12 program from 2007-09. Gundy, himself a former Oklahoma State QB, has been in charge in Stillwater since 2005. Robinson could land interviews on next year’s NFL HC carousel, and no other rumors have connected the first-year OC to the college game.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • The Bears have been connected to at least one college coach (Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman) about their now-vacant HC post, and others could be on the radar. An anonymous GM told the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora he expects the Bears to interview multiple college coaches during their upcoming search. Serving as team president since early 2023, Kevin Warren has a background in the college game stemming from his time as Big Ten commissioner. Although GM Ryan Poles is running Chicago’s search, Warren will have a major role to play in whom the team hires to replace Matt Eberflus.
  • Woody Johnson is again staffing out his HC search, bringing in ex-Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum and former Vikings GM Rick Spielman to tab the team’s next coach and GM. The latter shed some light into the process recently, indicating during the NFL on CBS podcast (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) he has already interviewed “a lot of the guys” who will be on his Jets recommendation list. Spielman having worked as an advisor during the Commanders’ recent searches points to familiar names being part of this upcoming Jets research effort. It will still be Johnson making the final call, but this is not the first time he has farmed out his hiring process. He did so in 2015 as well, using former GMs Charley Casserley and Ron Wolf ahead of the Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles hires.
  • Todd Grantham has been back in the NFL for the past two seasons, serving as a Saints assistant. While Robinson is not heading to Stillwater, Grantham will indeed be going to reprise his role as a college defensive coordinator. Oklahoma State is hiring Grantham as its DC, NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett notes. A former Browns DC under Romeo Crennel in the 2000s, Grantham had been the Saints’ D-line coach for the past two seasons. New Orleans firing Dennis Allen will lead to a staff overhaul, and Grantham — formerly the DC at Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State and Florida — will jump ship early.
  • Rams assistant special teams coach Scott Frost is returning to Central Florida. The former Knights HC will take on that job once again, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reports. Frost coached the Knights from 2016-17, using the mid-major program as a springboard to Nebraska. Matt Rhule’s Cornhuskers predecessor had caught on with the Rams this year.
  • Former Jets tight end Anthony Becht coached the United Football League’s St. Louis BattleHawks last season and recently interviewed for the West Virginia HC job. Becht has also drawn interest from the NFL, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The two-year St. Louis HC, the first season coming in XFL 3.0 in 2023, has never coached in the NFL and would presumably not be too close to the HC radar were he to explore a job in the league soon.
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QB Kirk Cousins Experiencing No Lingering Issues From Achilles

By | at September 14, 2024 11:10 am

Kirk Cousins struggled during his Falcons debut, which has naturally led to questions about the QB’s health. Dianna Russini of The Athletic writes that the quarterback’s “leg feels good” following his comeback from an Achilles injury, and there aren’t any “lingering issues from his surgery.”

Russini admits that “there is some rust,” which is probably as expected. Cousins didn’t play in the preseason, meaning his Week 1 start was the first time he took the field since suffering his Achilles injury in Week 8 of last season. Russini adds that the offseason acquisition is still showing signs of “hesitation when it comes to getting hit again at game speed,” something the 13-year veteran will surely shake off.

The other contributing factor to the Falcons’ Week 1 offensive struggles surround new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. After serving on the Rams coaching staff for years, this is Robinson’s first time calling plays, with one source telling Russini that we should “extend the same understanding” to first-year play callers as we do with first-year quarterbacks.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Cousins in his debut. The veteran tossed a pair of interceptions while leading his squad to only one touchdown. The Falcons offense also had a botched snap and several penalties. Cousins is hopeful that he can guide the offense to a more “crisp” performance on Monday night.

“I got to play better, I got to operate better and I was probably at the center of it not being clean and crisp,” Cousins said (via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi). “So, that frustrated me deeply, because I can place such an importance on that, in running the operation clean and crisp. And that’s what has to be better Monday.”

While the Faclons’ sizable offseason commitment to Cousins would indicate they’re willing to stick through early-season hiccups, that probably won’t stop the veteran from looking over his shoulder. The team surprised many by taking Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the draft, and the front office may have unintentionally set up a QB controversy if Cousins’ struggles continue.

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