Ranking the 7 Candidates Who Have Interviewed For Offensive Coordinator So Far

Here’s my ranking of the offensive coaching candidates, because why not. Please note that this is a list of who I personally like the most rather than who I think is most likely to get hired. No Chip Kelly, because if you haven’t heard, he’s out as an option.

1. Jeff Nixon, Offensive Coordinator, Syracuse

Of the 7 candidates, Nixon is the only one who has been the play-caller for a recently successful offense. Syracuse finished the 2024 season with the #1 passing offense in CFB, which is particularly impressive, considering the lower talent level present on Syracuse’s roster. Much of the success of Nixon’s offense came from a well-designed short passing attack, something the Texans sorely missed this last season. Choosing Nixon would also mean a shift towards more power/gap concepts in the run game, though Nixon has said that he adjusts the scheme based on what opponent the team is playing that week. Overall, Nixon is an attractive candidate to me because he offers that coveted play-calling experience, has spent a lot of time at both the college and NFL levels, and represents a shift away from the wide-zone concepts that our players have struggled with.

2. Nick Caley, Tight Ends Coach and Passing Game Coordinator, LA Rams

Caley is a hot name on the market, as he has also received consideration for the Jets’ and Buccaneers’ open OC spots. Much of the excitement over him has to do with association with Sean McVay, as he would likely bring the coveted McVay offense to his new team. I wouldn’t quite call him a “McVay disciple” in a similar way to the other Rams assistants who have been hired away, though. Zac Robinson, who was lured from the Rams to become the Falcons’ OC last year, spent 5 years on McVay’s staff. Liam Coen, Mr. Duuvaaal himself, spent 4 years with McVay’s Rams. Caley, on the other hand, has only spent two years with McVay. Maybe Coen thought this was an issue too, because he elected to turn down an offer to become the Patriots’ OC last offseason in order to gain more experience with the Rams (or maybe because he believed the Patriots were a disaster waiting to happen). I have Caley at #2 because I think he’s probably the biggest boom-or-bust guy on the list. He’s clearly a very well-respected football mind among league circles, which makes him enticing, but I have my reservations about a guy who spent limited time in the McVay system and has never called plays at any point in his career.

3. Grant Udinski, Assistant Offensive Coordinator and Assistant QB Coach, Minnesota Vikings

Udinski is probably the most unique candidate, and has been even hotter than Caley during this coaching cycle, earning four total offensive coordinator interviews. I would suggest reading this article about him for some insight into the kind of person he is, but to summarize, Udinski is painted as an extremely intelligent (and bizarre) football fanatic, and someone the Vikings were probably hoping to hold onto to develop into Kevin O’Connell’s protégé. I like his fit with CJ Stroud, who reportedly enjoys constantly picking the brains of his coaches. He’s also only 29, which makes him less likely to be immediately hired away if he finds success in Year 1. McVay set the record as the youngest person to be named a head coach when the Rams hired him at age 30, so it would take a team having extreme faith in Udinski to take that kind of risk on him. Of course, his young age also comes with the downside that he has had a short coaching career, and like Caley, he’s never called plays.

4. Jerrod Johnson, QB Coach, Houston Texans

I would consider the first three candidates on this list to be Tier 1, so Johnson comes in at the top of Tier 2. Though he’s had a short coaching career like Udinski, Johnson was also a longtime journeyman QB in the NFL, which I personally would count as viable experience. The main selling point of Jerrod is his relationship with CJ. It’s clear that CJ respects him, and I’m sure the two of them would be able to work well together to run the offense. Johnson has also received interviews from other teams for their offensive coaching positions, so he appears to have a good reputation in league circles. On the other hand, Johnson oversaw CJ’s regression this year. Obviously there were many other things that factored into it, but I do feel like Johnson isn’t completely blameless. Add in the fact that he’s never called plays, and I’d feel a little uneasy with Johnson at the offensive helm for 2025.

5. Brian Johnson, Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Pass Game Coordinator, Washington Commanders

After Nixon at #1, we had to wait until #5 for another guy with play calling experience. Brian Johnson was most famously the offensive coordinator for the Eagles in 2023, but he has also held some OC spots in the NCAA as well. To put it bluntly, the Eagles had a disappointing offensive year in 2023, and fans of the team were happy to be rid of him at the end of the season. How much of the blame should go to Johnson, and how much should go to head coach Nick Sirianni? You could point to the Eagles’ success this year as an answer, but Johnson didn’t get the luxury of having Saquon Barkley last season. A similar but opposite dilemma arises with his role this season, as the Commanders’ offense performed way above expectations with a rookie QB. Can some of that success be attributed to Johnson, or is it all Kliff Kingsbury? The sentiment amongst people who are more familiar with Brian Johnson than I am is that he’s a great QB coach, but terrible play caller. Personally, if I’m going to roll the dice on my coordinator hire, I’d rather it be an up-and-comer, rather than someone who failed as recently as 2023.

6. Bill Lazor, Senior Offensive Assistant, Houston Texans

Even though he falls pretty low on my list, I’m not as down on ol’ Billy as most other Texans fans are. Though the numbers behind some of his previous offensive coordinator stops aren’t super inspiring, he also wasn’t given a ton to work with in most of those situations. He was also the QB coach for Nick Foles’ 27 TD / 2 INT season, so that’s something, right? Even so, I believe Lazor’s ceiling is as a league-average offensive coordinator, and I think the Texans should aim higher.

7. Thad Lewis, QB Coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Lewis stands alone in Tier 3. Even though I know it’s super popular to steal coaches from the Buccaneers right now, Thad Lewis is basically just Jerrod Johnson, but without the built-in connection to CJ Stroud. No thanks.