Ten Rising NFL Quarterback Coaches to know as the NFL Coaching Cycle heats up

After 2022, he was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as a quality control coach, working with Dak Prescott before reuniting with Canales in Carolina this season. We've seen his results with Bryce Young's improvement in 2024. 

3. Jerrod Johnson, Quarterbacks coach, Houston Texans

Despite a sophomore slump from C.J. Stroud, Jerrod Johnson's name is still well-regarded in coaching circles. 

After his playing time was up following time in the NFL, CFL, and UFL, Johnson transitioned into coaching, coaching at St. Thomas High School in Houston as the offensive coordinator. In 2017, he participated in the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship with the San Francisco 49ers, where he met DeMeco Ryans. 

That helped him land a spot with the Indianapolis Colts as a quality control coach under Frank Reich. He was quickly hired away by Kevin O'Connell on his initial staff in 2022, working as the assistant quarterbacks coach, before joining DeMeco Ryans as his full-time quarterbacks coach in Houston in 2023. 

His time under coaches like Kyle Shanahan, Frank Reich, and Kevin O'Connell, as well as his history of development, has Johnson at the forefront of offensive coordinator searches. 

4. Brad Kragthorpe, Cincinnati Bengals

Many LSU fans might remember Brad Kragthorpe as the backup QB who threw the game-winning touchdown against Florida on a fake field goal. 

However, he is a fast riser in coaching circles, specifically for his work with Joe Burrow. Kragthorpe joined the LSU coaching staff as an analyst in 2018, working with Joe Burrow and JaMarr Chase. In 2019, Zac Taylor hired him to his staff with the Bengals, initially as an assistant. However, his role evolved as Burrow and Chase followed him from LSU, becoming an assistant wide receivers coach in 2021 to the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2023. 

Kragthorpe became the full-time quarterbacks coach in 2024, and Burrow has posted arguably his best season yet, vaulting himself into the MVP conversation despite the Bengals missing the playoffs.  

5. Thaddeus Lewis, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The former Davey O'Brien Award finalist has had a brief but quality rise as an NFL coach. Thaddeus Lewis originally was hired by Chip Kelly at UCLA in 2018 before joining Bruce Arians in 2020 as a coaching intern. Arians promoted Lewis to assistant wide receivers coach after just a year. After coaching Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for two seasons under Arians and Byron Leftwich, Lewis was once again promoted, this time to quarterbacks coach. 

Lewis's time under talented coaches like David Cutcliffe, Chip Kelly, Bill O'Brien, Kevin O'Connell, Ryan Day, Bruce Arians, Dave Canales, and now Liam Coen, as well as his work in re-igniting Baker Mayfield's career, has the attention of the league. 

6. T.C. McCartney, New England Patriots

T.C. McCartney first got an NFL shot in 2014, working under Kyle Shanahan as an offensive quality control coach, and was with Shanahan on his initial staff with the 49ers in 2017. 

McCartney would follow Rich Scangarello to Denver in 2019 as the Broncos' quarterbacks coach, before joining Kevin Stefanski in 2020 in Cleveland. McCartney worked his way up to coaching tight ends with the Browns, assisting in developing David Njoku into one of the best tight ends in the league, before being fired in 2023 as the Browns tried to build around Deshaun Watson, to the chagrin of players in the building.

McCartney rebounded as the quarterbacks coach in New England this past season, developing Drake Maye into one of the top young quarterbacks in the league, as well as growing Joe Milton's game.

7. Josh McCown, Minnesota Vikings

Arguably the hottest name on this list, Josh McCown has successfully converted his long experience as a player to coaching. After 18 years as a quarterback, McCown was hired as a quarterbacks coach for the Carolina Panthers in 2023, where he was tasked with developing Bryce Young. As the staff was cleaned out from a disastrous 2023 season, McCown quickly rebounded with the Vikings under Kevin O'Connell.

This season, McCown has been a key influence in the resurgence of Sam Darnold. Teams are going to try and copy as much of the Vikings' offense as they can, and McCown will be a hot name on hiring boards as a result. 

8. Davis Webb, Denver Broncos

If Josh McCown isn't the hottest name on this list, it's Davis Webb. Webb is viewed as a brilliant teacher who can easily diffuse information to his players and get the best out of them. He's become a valued member of Sean Payton's staff in Denver, and we're seeing the results with Bo Nix so far this season.

As teams look to replicate that success with their own young quarterback, expect Webb to draw plenty of interest across the league. 

9. Israel Woolfork, Arizona Cardinals

After playing wide receiver in college and coaching both running backs and receivers at Miami (OH), Israel Woolfork earned his first shot in the NFL in 2021 as a member of the Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellowship with Cleveland. Woolfork worked primarily with the quarterbacks in 2021 and 2022 with the Browns. 

His work with the Browns made an impression on Drew Petzing, who brought Woolfork with him to Arizona when he was hired as the team's offensive coordinator. Woolfork is viewed as a key part of the Cardinals' offensive process and has helped adjust Kyler Murray to a more "pro-style" offense under Petzing. 

10. T.J. Yates, Atlanta Falcons

After a seven-year playing career with the Texans, Falcons, Dolphins, and Bills, T.J. Yates transitioned into coaching in 2019, joining Bill O'Brien's staff with the Texans. He worked primarily with the quarterbacks, coaching Deshaun Watson to two Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2020. When O'Brien was fired, Yates quickly rebounded, joining the Falcons under Arthur Smith. 

Yates spent 2021 as the passing game specialist for the team before taking over as the Falcons' wide receivers coach in 2022. As the team's wide receivers coach, Yates helped Drake London set Falcons' records. Yates was retained as the Falcons' quarterbacks coach under Raheem Morris, coaching Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. this season. Yates has been a steady mentor for Penix and played a key role in the rookie looking as ready as he did late in the season. 

Bonus: Assistant Quarterbacks Coaches on the Rise

1. J.T. Barrett, Assistant Quarterbacks coach, Detroit Lions

J.T. Barrett's stock has soared behind closed doors. The former Heisman finalist and record-setting quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes has only been coaching in the NFL for three seasons but has quite a few fans in and outside of Detroit. He joined the Lions as an offensive assistant in 2022 before quickly becoming promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2023.

His work as part of the offense under Ben Johnson and coaching Jared Goff has been a key part of the Lions' securing back-to-back playoff appearances and the 1-seed in the NFC this season. Barrett is a key designer of some of the special trick plays the Lions have made famous under Johnson. Teams will want to steal as much as they can from Ben Johnson, which could mean Barrett could quickly be poached away by a different team this cycle. 

2. Connor Lewis, Assistant Quarterbacks coach, Green Bay Packers

Connor Lewis has been an underappreciated cog in the Packers' boasting one of the best offenses in the NFL under Matt LaFleur. Lewis was hired by Mike McCarthy in 2016 as a technology analyst for the team, but became an offensive quality control coach under LaFleur in 2020 before becoming a special teams assistant/game management coach in 2021. 

LaFleur has praised Lewis for his efforts multiple times, often without prompt, and the results speak for themselves. Jordan Love as ascended into one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and LaFleur has cited Lewis as a key part of why the Packers have stayed ahead of the NFL in terms of offensive trends. 

3. Daniel Stern, Assistant Quarterbacks coach/Director of Football Strategy, Baltimore Ravens

Another analytics hire turned quarterbacks coach, Daniel Stern has coached on both sides of the ball for the Ravens but has guided Lamar Jackson to a likely MVP award in 2024. Stern originally joined the team as an analytics assistant in 2016 before becoming a game management and football search coach in 2018. 

Stern was named an offensive assistant in 2022 working with Baltimore's skill positions before moving to defense in 2023, working with the linebackers. In his new title in 2024, he assists in coaching Jackson while also working with the playbook, call sheet, opponent analysis, and self-scouting. He also is responsible for scripting situational periods of practice and advising head coach John Harbaugh on in-game clock/game management and coaches' challenges. 

4. Grant Udinski, Assistant offensive coordinator/assistant quarterbacks, Minnesota Vikings

Grant Udinski's first coaching experience came under Matt Rhule as a graduate assistant at Baylor and the Carolina Panthers from 2019-21. He was recommended to Kevin O'Connell by coaches like Mike Pettine and joined O'Connell's initial Vikings staff in 2022. Since being hired by the Vikings, O'Connell has promoted Udinski twice.

There is wide-held belief that Udinski is the next iteration of a Kevin O'Connell/Sean McVay-esque coach due to his high football intelligence, energy, and teaching ability. O'Connell refers to him as his "secret weapon". Udinski's role in the Vikings having one of the NFL's best offenses has the attention of every team in the league. 

5. Dan Williams, OQC/Assistant Quarterbacks coach, Kansas City Chiefs

A former record-setting quarterback at Stevenson University, Dan Williams joined the Chiefs in 2019 as a coaching intern. Williams worked with the quarterbacks and tight ends that year in the Chiefs' Super Bowl run. Within three seasons, he was promoted three times to multiple assistant roles before settling into his current role as the assistant quarterbacks coach. 

Williams has assisted David Girardi in the development of Patrick Mahomes' and the rest of the Chiefs' quarterbacks and is viewed as an internal riser to become a full positional coach if changes come to Kansas City's staff.