Ranking the offensive play-caller for each NFL team

Not much more can be said for Reid, a surefire Hall of Fame head coach who has won two Super Bowls in the last four seasons. He's had excellent quarterbacks in his time with the Eagles and Chiefs, including Donovan McNabb, Alex Smith, and Patrick Mahomes, but was ahead of his time as a pass-heavy play caller with the ability to design creative plays never seen in the NFL before. There remain criticisms of Reid's game management and short-yardage play calling, but they are a small blemish on his record.

McVay is known around league circles as a downright offensive genius despite being only 37. Any association with McVay's offense has proven a great career move for fellow coaches, and his success with seemingly any quarterback has just added to the developing legend. McVay could be in for one of his most difficult coaching jobs this season after the Rams lost significant talent, but that could make continued offensive success that much sweeter.

It's clear Shanahan is a chip off the old block from his legendary father, Mike Shanahan. There's even an argument to be made that Shanahan is a better play designer in the run game, and his success despite big-time quarterback talent in San Francisco has been sensational. Before becoming a head coach, Shanahan was a successful coordinator with Houston, Washington, Cleveland, and Atlanta.

McDaniel had a clear impact in his first season as an offensive playcaller, helping shape an elite offense after big additions at wideout and the offensive line. The difference he made with Tua Tagovailoa last season was clear when the quarterback was healthy, and McDaniel's run design was reminiscent of his former boss, Kyle Shanahan. McDaniel's offense is performing at a record pace through five games as he climbs up the best play caller rankings.

Pederson's offenses have regularly improved under his watch with the Eagles and Jaguars. Jacksonville saw a turnaround last season, particularly on offense, as Trevor Lawrence took a leap forward in his second season. A protege of Andy Reid, some of Pederson's play design against the Eagles was even used by Reid in the Super Bowl.

Over 15 seasons in New Orleans, Payton established himself as one of the top offensive minds in the game. It certainly helped that he had Drew Brees leading the offense for most of that time, but Payton's creativity and aggressiveness still kept opposing defenses guessing. 

A part of the Sean McVay coaching tree, Taylor has proven to be an excellent offensive play-caller in his time with the Bengals. Of course, it helps to have elite talent led by Joe Burrow, but the offense has become one of the most feared in the NFL, finishing seventh in points in consecutive seasons. The only major criticism of Taylor is his lack of aggressiveness at times.

After a short tenure in Tennessee, LaFleur found immediate success, leading the Packers with three consecutive 13-win seasons. His creativity made Aaron Rodgers a fan, though the regression of the offense over the last two seasons is a concern. The challenge could be much greater this year as Jordan Love takes the reins at quarterback.

Johnson has only called plays for one full year in Detroit, but immediately became a head coaching candidate for his work. He helped rehabilitate Jared Goff's career, playing to the quarterback's strengths while leaning on a powerful running game. The addition of first-round running back Jahmyr Gibbs gives Johnson the opportunity to be more creative in the offense, and another strong offensive season should allow him more head coaching interviews.

Reich spent time as head coach and playcaller of the Colts, and he was expected to begin the 2023 season in that capacity with the Panthers. Jonathan Taylor became an elite runner under Reich's watch with the Colts, and now he has a higher-ceiling quarterback to work with in rookie Bryce Young. However, Reich is expected to eventually hand the play-calling baton to former Rams assistant Thomas Brown, who is serving as offensive coordinator.

Smith can design runs with the best of them, though his preference for the run must be called into question in the new analytics era of the NFL. To Smith's credit, he has made the most of Atlanta's running game to this point, and was acclaimed for the work he did in Tennessee before taking the Falcons job.

Steichen called plays over the last two seasons with Philadelphia, and will retain that duty with Indianapolis. He showed that he knew how to call a creative game plan with a mobile quarterback, which will be key as speedy rookie Anthony Richardson takes over as the long-term signal caller for the Colts. Of course, Steichen doesn't have the advantages of an elite offensive line and wideouts that he did in Philly.

Concluding four seasons as offensive coordinator of the Cowboys, Moore led elite offensives for three years and also did a great job keeping the ship running when Dak Prescott was unavailable. The development of the team's offensive personnel was also positive under Moore, including Tony Pollard's ascent last season. There's optimism inheriting a talented Chargers offense led by Justin Herbert.

Brian Daboll deserves credit for finding a talented offensive coordinator in Kafka despite making a name for himself in that role before taking the Giants head coaching job. The former quarterbacks coach in KC, Kafka is credited with turning around Daniel Jones and did so without much talent at receiver. However, with the struggles the Giants have run into this season, Daboll has seemingly regained some control of the offensive plays. 

A product of the Sean McVay coaching tree, O'Connell had a strong first season in Minnesota as head coach and play-caller after previously serving as play-caller for Washington in 2019. Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson played some of their best football under O'Connell last season, and he did well to get Jefferson the ball whenever possible.

The Bills made a change following Week 10, firing Ken Dorsey and promoting Brady. It's a great opportunity for a young play caller who was anointed a genius after helping the 2019 LSU squad, but then struggled with inferior talent as the Panthers play caller for two seasons. The early returns for the Bills and Brady were strong.

After a disappointing 2021 season with Russell Wilson in decline, Seattle's offense saw a turnaround last season with Geno Smith. Did Smith have the ability all along, or was Waldron a driving force? Either way, Waldron proved his worth and could get more head coaching consideration soon as a member of the Sean McVay coaching tree.

McDaniels has helped drive excellent offenses over the years with New England and Denver, though his results in his first year with the Raiders were a mixed bag. His track record with other quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Kyle Orton, and Mac Jones should supersede the struggles Derek Carr had in the system, though the questions will increase if Jimmy Garoppolo doesn't succeed this season.

O'Brien is back in New England, where he served as offensive coordinator in 2011 before taking the Penn State head coaching job. He's also called plays as head coach of the Texans and offensive coordinator of Alabama. While his style can rub some the wrong way, O'Brien has consistently gotten the most out of his quarterbacks and saw Houston's offense improve significantly with the help of Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. Unfortunately, the early results for Mac Jones haven't been pretty.

Bieniemy served as offensive coordinator under Andy Reid in KC from 2018-2022, but he never got an opportunity to call plays. He gets that title with Washington and the hope that success in his new role can lead to the head coaching job that he's long sought. Bieniemy sounded like a disciplinarian as an assistant with Kansas City, but he had overwhelming support from his players. 

Monken has a big task this season: transition the run-heavy Ravens offense to more of a balanced approach. He certainly has the experience to handle the challenge, as the former offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Buccaneers, Browns, and Georgia. Monken has been able to show off his creativity in the passing game at multiple stops, and he's usually made the most of his talent. If he's successful in developing Lamar Jackson into an MVP candidate again, Monken should receive NFL head coach consideration.

After allowing Kellen Moore to call plays for his first two seasons in Dallas, McCarthy decided to fire Moore and take matters into his own hands. McCarthy's offense worked for a while in Green Bay, but was seen as stale by the end of his tenure. 

After years under Sean Payton, Carmichael finally take the reins as the Saints primary playcaller when Payton left last year. The offense continued to struggle without a reliable quarterback, but Carmichael hopes that changes with Derek Carr. Carr has experience in a similar system under Jon Gruden, and Carmichael could brighten his head coaching candidacy with a successful year.

Cleveland has continued to lean on the run under Stefanski, but his tenure with the team will ultimately be judged on Deshaun Watson's performance. The former star quarterback struggled after returning from suspension late last season, and continued struggles will almost certainly cost Stefanski his job.

Kelly was promoted by the Titans from passing game coordinator, though he served as offensive coordinator in Houston during 2020 and 2021. His offenses struggled without much to work with, so it will be exciting to see what he can do with proven talents like Derrick Henry and DeAndre Hopkins.

Slowik is a first-time playcaller after serving as a long-time assistant under Kyle Shanahan in Washington and San Francisco. With the success of the Shanahan coaching tree, there are high hopes for Slowik's offense, and he's certainly developed with the quick and impressive development of quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Johnson succeeds Shane Steichen as offensive coordinator and play caller in Philadelphia. The former quarterbacks coach has big shoes to fill, but also a wealth of talent to work with for the defending NFC Champs.

Tampa Bay moved on from Byron Leftwich after a messy 2022 season on offense, hoping Canales can right the ship. The former wide receivers and quarterbacks coach in Seattle has a tough task with Baker Mayfield leading the ship, but he's seen solid results early in the year.

Petzing is calling plays for the first time as Arizona's offensive coordinator, after serving as an assistant for the Vikings and Browns. He has a promising pedigree after working under Kevin Stefanski for many years, but doesn't exactly have much to work with early this season in Arizona.

The Bears had a very rough go in Getsy's first season, but they also saw some very encouraging signs from Justin Fields. Getsy did well playing to Fields' strengths as a runner, and there's optimism he will open up the offense after the team acquired DJ Moore in the offseason.

Hackett was nothing short of a disaster as the Broncos head coach and playcaller last season, failing to last the entire season. Back as a coordinator for the Jets, Hackett has experience to draw from after serving in the same role with the Bills and Jaguars. Aaron Rodgers is comfortable with Hackett, but his offenses have seen limited success with him calling plays.

Canada hasn't made many fans in Pittsburgh with a conservative offense, but that design seems to be to the liking of head coach Mike Tomlin. A former college coordinator, Canada has held the play caller role since 2020, but Kenny Pickett's lack of development early this season could cost Canada has job soon.