One pressing question for every new NFL offensive play caller in 2025

As NFL teams take the field for the next phase of offseason workouts this week, a crop of new offensive play callers find themselves in the early installation stages while teaching their systems to their players.

This year, 12 teams have new offensive play callers (down from 16 last season). That includes four rookie head coaches, as the Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson, Dallas Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer, Jacksonville Jaguars’ Liam Coen and New Orleans Saints’ Kellen Moore all are expected to handle play-calling duties for their teams.

Along with instruction, this time of the year also features a good bit of experimentation as coordinators work to understand their players’ capabilities and determine what works best.

Here’s one pressing question facing each new offensive play caller. We’ll address pressing questions for new defensive play callers later this week.

Chicago Bears: Ben Johnson

Can the first-year head coach remain an offensive wizard while juggling the demands of running an entire team AND developing franchise quarterback Caleb Williams into a top-flight pro?

In previous offseasons, Johnson rebuffed the advances of other head coach-needy teams, preferring the freedom to focus exclusively on running an offense while aiming to help guide the Lions to a Super Bowl. But Johnson jumped at the opportunity to work with 2024 No. 1 draft pick Williams and shape the Bears into contenders.

There are so many demands of a head coach, from daily scheduling, uniform selections, travel plans, assistant mentoring, roster evaluations … the list goes on. Johnson may find it hard to devote as much time to crafting offensive game plans as he did in Detroit. But the offensive wizardry he displayed there is what got him the job in Chicago. How will the rookie head coach manage to juggle and live up to expectations in the Windy City?

Dallas Cowboys: Brian Schottenheimer

Can this rookie head coach really supercharge an offense that often looked disjointed, anemic and ineffective when he was Mike McCarthy’s offensive coordinator?

The promotion of Schottenheimer, who did not call plays as McCarthy’s offensive coordinator, to head coach felt like a sorely underwhelming move for Jerry Jones. But the Cowboys hope Schottenheimer’s familiarity with the roster serves him well and helps them avoid needing a complete reset.

Schottenheimer hasn’t served as a full-time play caller since his time in Seattle (2018-20). It’ll be interesting to see if he can implement dramatic changes now that he’s calling the shots, or if it’ll be more of the same for the Cowboys. Dallas does get back a healthy Dak Prescott and moved this offseason to pair former Steelers wide receiver George Pickens with CeeDee Lamb while also attempting to improve its running back position.

Detroit Lions: John Morton

Can the longtime assistant pick up where Ben Johnson left off?

Under Johnson, Detroit boasted one of the most explosive offenses in the game. Jared Goff went from Rams castoff to MVP candidate, and the Lions displayed great versatility and effectiveness. Morton has big shoes to fill.

Lions coach Dan Campbell hopes his fellow Sean Payton disciple (Morton previously served as Denver’s pass game coordinator) can keep things rolling in Detroit, where the Lions have painfully fallen short in the playoffs the last two years. Morton has just one season of play-calling experience (2017 with the Jets). So in addition to figuring out how to help stars such as Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown take another step forward, he’ll have to get back into the play-calling flow.

Houston Texans: Nick Caley

Can he fix the Texans’ offense despite a lack of coordinator and play-calling experience?

The Texans thought they found the next bright offensive mind in Bobby Slowik, but after an impressive first season as play caller, he struggled last year to further evolve the offense and mask deficiencies. DeMeco Ryans then replaced Slowik with Caley, pairing the former Rams tight ends coach with first-year offensive line coach Cole Popovich.

The Texans have a talented young quarterback in C.J. Stroud. But he regressed in year two, sustaining 52 sacks (second most in the NFL) and his interception totals spiked from five in 2023 to 12 in 2024. Caley and Popovich must elevate a revamped offensive line, find ways to alleviate pressure on Stroud and position him to take a big leap forward.

There should be some carryover: Caley learned under Sean McVay, who runs a similar offense to the system Slowik learned from Kyle Shanahan. Caley also coached under Bill Belichick for five seasons. Can the 42-year-old apply all of the lessons learned from McVay and Belichick, two Super Bowl-winning head coaches, and keep Stroud on a positive trajectory?

Jacksonville Jaguars: Liam Coen

Can he help Trevor Lawrence live up to his potential at last?

Drafted first overall out of Clemson in 2021, Lawrence was regarded as a can’t-miss prospect and a generational talent. He endured a tumultuous rookie season during Urban Meyer’s disastrous tenure, and then showed promise down the stretch of his second NFL season with Doug Pederson guiding his way. But on-field inconsistencies and injuries have added up to grave disappointments for Lawrence, who will now play for his fourth head coach (including 2021 interim Darrell Bevell) in five seasons.

Coen has made a rapid rise through the NFL coaching ranks. Now he must help Lawrence live up to his potential. He received his NFL baptism as an assistant to Sean McVay, then last season — as offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay for one year — he helped quarterback Baker Mayfield deliver a career year.

The Jaguars want Coen to work similar magic with their quarterback and franchise, and he is in the process of tailoring his offense to Lawrence’s strengths and fitting the best possible pieces around him. Offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, 29, is assisting Coen, but the head coach will call the plays. Can a 39-year-old coach with only five NFL seasons and one year of play calling under his belt deliver this massive undertaking?

Las Vegas Raiders: Chip Kelly

Can he get more out of the Raiders’ skill players than his predecessor?

Former Raiders coach Antonio Pierce made the curious selection of Luke Getsy for his offensive coordinator despite his failings in Chicago. Las Vegas went on to struggle mightily, and Getsy didn’t last a full season. But the play caller wasn’t the only problem. The Raiders had real talent deficiencies at quarterback and beyond. New coach Pete Carroll lured Kelly, a heralded offensive guru, back to the NFL by paying him $6 million per season — the richest for an offensive coordinator in the game today.

Kelly will be tasked with restoring explosiveness to a long-anemic unit. Geno Smith is an upgrade at quarterback. He should develop good chemistry with young tight end Brock Bowers. And the Raiders have a promising rookie running back in Ashton Jeanty. However, Kelly has to find ways to elevate the Raiders’ supporting cast — including an offensive line that yielded 50 sacks (seventh most) and a receiving unit that, outside of Jakobi Meyers, proved very pedestrian.

New England Patriots: Josh McDaniels

How will he position Drake Maye for the leap to franchise quarterback?

As a rookie, Maye proved himself as a playmaker. The problem was the Patriots had few weapons at Maye’s disposal, and the quarterback and his team endured a trying year. Reaching into their past, the Patriots hired former linebacker Mike Vrabel as head coach, and Vrabel brought  McDaniels back to Foxboro for his third stint with the team. McDaniels directed a highly effective and efficient New England offense with Tom Brady as the focal point. McDaniels also had success with Brady backups Matt Cassel, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett. Cam Newton and Mac Jones had some bright moments under his direction as well.

So how will McDaniels help Maye develop into a consistent pro? One key is helping him play with the rhythm and timing that enables the Patriots to march downfield and keep pressure on defenses. Maye has few proven weapons with which to work. Stefon Diggs is a reliable veteran, though he’s coming off ACL repair surgery. But McDaniels will have to figure out how to get the most out of tight end Hunter Henry, second-year wideout Ja’Lynn Polk, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and other pieces. The Patriots also need strong play from their revamped offensive line.

New Orleans Saints: Kellen Moore

Who is his quarterback with Derek Carr now retired?

An ongoing shoulder injury forced the surprise retirement of Carr, a four-time Pro Bowl selection. Now Moore, a rookie head coach, must make do with second-year pro Spencer Rattler or rookie Tyler Shough. Moore has had success with established quarterbacks such as Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert and, most recently, Jalen Hurts. Now he’ll have to develop a pair of unproven quarterbacks while also trying to create an offensive identity that helps mask the deficiencies of a roster plagued by salary-cap constraints. The Saints need big campaigns from veterans Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave in the worst way.

New York Jets: Tanner Engstrand

How will he help Justin Fields and the ever-changing Jets offense achieve a level of consistency?

In the last 15 seasons, the Jets have had 11 play callers, and not even Aaron Rodgers could bring stability and consistency to this side of the ball. Starting over again, the Jets turned to Engstrand, the 42-year-old former pass game coordinator of the Lions. Helping Fields, the Jets’ new starting quarterback, find comfort within yet another system will rank high on Engstrand’s to-do list. Given Fields’ mobility and the talented running back tandem of Breece Hall and second-year pro Braelon Allen, the Jets likely will lean heavily on the rushing attack. But they do have a promising receiving unit featuring Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds.

Philadelphia Eagles: Kevin Patullo

How will he ensure continuity while helping the champs continue to evolve?

Boasting one of the most well-rounded and potent offenses and a Lombardi Trophy came at a price: The Eagles lost offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to a head coaching job after only one season. That means quarterback Jalen Hurts in 2025 will play for his sixth play caller in six seasons. By now, the quarterback has grown accustomed to change. But he has good familiarity with this latest OC, as coach Nick Sirianni promoted Patullo (previously his pass game coordinator) to play caller.

Patullo has worked with Hurts for four seasons, so he understands his likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Patullo also fully grasps the capabilities of running back Saquon Barkley and wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. But he’s not Moore, so various aspects about the Eagles’ approach to attacking defenses could change. Patullo also must gain comfort as a coordinator because he has never called plays in 20-plus years coaching in college and the NFL.

Seattle Seahawks: Klint Kubiak

Can he help Sam Darnold build on last season’s resurgence?

The Seahawks cast aside the steady Geno Smith to sign Darnold in free agency, after Darnold helped lead the Vikings to one of the best records in franchise history (14-3) and a postseason berth. Hoping to give Darnold (the third pick of the 2018 draft) the best chance to build on that success, they hired Kubiak as offensive coordinator. Why Kubiak? The 38-year-old worked closely with Darnold during the 2023 season when Kubiak was the 49ers’ pass game coordinator and Darnold was the backup to Brock Purdy. Darnold has said that season in San Francisco reset his career after woeful stints with the Jets and Panthers.

Playing in a similar system in Minnesota last season, Darnold made a strong case for MVP honors. The Seahawks, who also added wide receiver Cooper Kupp this offseason, hope that familiarity helps Darnold take them on a similar playoff march and contend with the 49ers, Rams and Cardinals for NFC West supremacy.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Grizzard

Can he ensure a seamless transition and help the Bucs get over the hump?

Baker Mayfield revived his career when he signed with the Buccaneers in 2023 and filled the void caused by Tom Brady’s retirement. Then-offensive coordinator Dave Canales played a key role in Mayfield and the Buccaneers’ success, but he left for the Panthers’ head coaching job. Liam Coen then came in last season and helped Mayfield deliver a career year despite rampant injuries at wide receiver. But Coen also has his own head coaching job now, with Jacksonville.

Next in line at offensive coordinator: Grizzard, last year’s pass game coordinator, who inherits a unit that returns all 11 starters. The Buccaneers have won four straight NFC South titles, but they haven’t gotten past the divisional round in any of those seasons, and lost twice in the wild-card round. Could this be the year they finally get over the hump? Grizzard is optimistic, estimating that he and his players are further ahead now than they were at this point last season because they didn’t have to go through a dramatic reset.

(Top photos of Chip Kelly and Brian Schottenheimer: Ethan Miller and Richard Rodriguez / Getty Images)