Getty Baker Mayfield chats with his Rams coaches on January 1, 2023 in Inglewood.
The Los Angeles Rams have already lost their offensive coordinator with Liam Coen heading back to Kentucky on Tuesday, January 10 — and the move comes with inquiring minds wondering if Sean McVay will return for 2023. But could another offensive staff member be plucked away?
The New England Patriots have an opening for offensive coordinator in the wake of Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick announcing his plan to return. But one name that got added to the short list of candidates by team reporter Evan Lazar: Zac Robinson, Rams quarterback coach and passing game coordinator.
“With McVay’s future up in the air and new regime potentially taking over in L.A., we can add Zac Robinson’s name to the short list for Patriots OC,” Lazar tweeted Tuesday, with Robinson being mentioned along with former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury and former Patriots wide receivers coach and now WR coach/passing game coordinator for the Cleveland Browns Chad O’Shea.
Insider Reveals Rams Will Not Interfere With Coaches Seeking Other Opportunities
Robinson’s name comes in the wake of the ESPN Jeremy Fowler report Tuesday indicating this plan the Rams have rolled out for the offseason: Not interfering with current members of the staff seeking other coaching opportunities.
“Rams coach Sean McVay, whose future is in limbo, has permitted his coaching staff to search for other jobs without resistance, per sources. McVay said in a staff meeting that he doesn’t know what he will do next year and won’t block those who want to explore opportunities,” Fowler shared.
Fowler then added how “Teams can no longer block position coaches from interviewing for coordinator jobs, but they can block lateral moves. The Rams won’t do that in this case.”
Already, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was requested permission by the Denver Broncos Monday for an interview. Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer reports that Morris will interview with the Broncos on Tuesday, January 17. Breer adds that Morris will also interview with the Indianapolis Colts for their head coach opening.
Again, Coen became the first offseason coach movement from the 2022 Rams staff by retaking the Kentucky offensive coordinator position — a title he held in 2021 before taking over as McVay’s offensive coordinator this past regular season. The Rams lost running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples to Arizona State and offensive assistant Jake Peetz to Nebraska — with both moves being announced during the regular season.
Zac Robinson’s Credentials Including 2022 Work
Robinson, 36, could be due for some type of elevation…whether it’d be within the Rams’ organization or elsewhere.
The former Oklahoma State quarterback from 2006 to 2009 arrived to the Rams in 2019 where he got Jared Goff to deliver a 4,638-yard season in his first season on the staff, then 3,952 the following year. Robinson, though, would go on to help rejuvenate the career of Matthew Stafford in 2021 — with the former Detroit Lion typing a previous career-best mark of 41 touchdowns while throwing for 4,886 yards during their march to the Super Bowl victory over Cincinnati.
In 2022, despite the myriad of injuries and only working with him from December 6 to the January 8 season finale, Robinson was credited for helping reignite the career of Baker Mayfield — who went on to improve his completion percentage to 63.6 in just four games with the Rams — which was higher than his previous marks in Cleveland and Carolina after his rookie season of 2018.
But with Coen going from L.A. to Lexington, Rams insider Jourdan Rodrigue mentioned Robinson’s name as a replacement possibility for Coen if McVay returns and makes an internal hire.
Uncertainty continues to swirl around the “Rams House” on what will become of the 2022 coaching staff starting with McVay. Now, Robinson has been mentioned for another job that has him linked to another Super Bowl-winning franchise.