Falcons Stack Experience Around Tommy Rees in 2026 Reset

The Atlanta Falcons have a completely revamped offensive staff at Flowery Branch for year one of the Kevin Stefanski era. With the head coach in place and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees set to call plays, what could this staff look like this season? 

“I could not feel stronger about the staff that we have,” Rees said last Wednesday when speaking to the media for the first time. “We've been meeting here for a couple of weeks. That's been so important, and we can already feel like this can be about as good a staff as I've been a part of, and as the younger guy in the room, it's exciting for me to be around guys that can make all of us better.”

Rees will be joined by three other coaches who have experience calling plays at some point in their NFL careers, while another was interviewed for a role earlier this offseason. This is a far cry from the difficulties of last season, when the Falcons had Zac Robinson as their only option. 

That will not be the case in 2026. 

Tanner Engstrand, who served under Ben Johnson in Detroit before taking the offensive coordinator position for the New York Jets in 2025, comes in as the passing game coordinator. Robert Prince (wide receiver coach) has been coaching in the NFL for 20 years. Of the retentions, Michael Pitre (running backs) and Kevin Koger (tight ends) each coached a player who received All-Pro recognition. 

The most consequential additions, however, may be the next two names.

Alex Van Pelt will take over as quarterbacks coach in Atlanta, and the longtime position coach has played a key role in the development of several prominent players throughout the NFL. He has worked with Joe Flacco, Matthew Stafford, and Aaron Rodgers, but was reportedly the “secret” to Drake Maye’s early success in New England. 

Before joining the Patriots, Van Pelt was the offensive coordinator for Stefanski in Cleveland over their two playoff seasons, and Rees spoke highly of the man who will take Michael Penix Jr. under his wing this offseason. 

“We are so fortunate to have ‘AVP’ [Alex Van Pelt] here and working with the quarterbacks, and somebody who played in the league has served as a coordinator,” Rees said. I missed him in Cleveland by a couple of weeks, and he is already a great resource for us.”

Finally, along the offensive line, the Falcons will feature one of the legends in the coaching ranks. Bill Callahan reunited with Stefanski earlier this offseason. The long-time NFL position coach has been a staple in the league for much of the last three decades. He is widely regarded as one of the top offensive line coaches in the NFL.

“I've known about Coach Callahan since I was a little kid. He's a legend in the coaching world,” Rees said. “Already, you can just see the professionalism, you can feel the expertise in the run game. [He is] very convicted on how things need to be done, which is so important in terms of eliminating gray area. There's a reason he's had the amount of success he's had. 

“That was something I was very excited about when ‘Kev’ and I sat down and talked about the staff and the direction it was going. Just to be around a great coach like that every day, it makes all of us better.” 

Altogether, the Falcons will feature a deep offensive staff that will work to find some added consistency for a unit that severely lacked it in 2025. A young quarterback in Penix will need the expertise of a Van Pelt, while a receiver corps with depth concerns will receive some veteran mentorship from Engstrand and Prince. 

On paper, the Falcons have surrounded a young Tommy Rees with experience at every level of the offensive staff. The resumes are impressive, but this group won’t be judged by past success, instead it will be whether they can turn potential into production in 2026.