Former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley moved swiftly to finally fill the vacant offensive coordinator position on the L.A. Chargers during the morning of Monday, January 30 — and he won’t be plucking away from Sean McVay and the Rams.
Staley is instead pivoting to former Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in a surprise move reported first by the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
“Former Cowboys OC Kellen Moore is expected to become the Chargers OC, sources tell me and Tom Pelissero. The talented play-caller goes from Dak Prescott to Justin Herbert, a quick move after his departure from Dallas,” Rapoport tweeted.
Moore became available after the Cowboys mutually parted ways with the offensive coordinator of four seasons. But Moore to the Chargers officially rules out two assistants linked to the OC opening under Staley and conducted interviews with the team: Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown and quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Zac Robinson.
One Rams Assistant Was Called Favorite to Land Chargers Opportunity Before Moore
Between Brown and Robinson, it was the latter who was labeled the favorite to land the opening for the Bolts until Moore entered the picture.
“Rams’ Zac Robinson was considered favorite for this job, with multiple teams looking for a coordinator pegging him a Charger — until Kellen Moore became available,” reported ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.
Robinson interviewed for the position back on January 23. McVay back on February 25, 2020 told Pro Football Focus that Robinson was on the rise.
“I think Zac is a rising star in our profession. He’s got such great ownership of the QB position. He’ll get a chance now to really work with our QB group and our receivers too, but he brings so much value and the way that he sees the game and the amount of tape that he watched — he’ll be a valuable part of our program,” McVay said after he hired Robinson.
Brown, meanwhile, was the most recent Rams assistant to interview for the OC spot with his session completed on Wednesday, January 25. Brown has surfaced on multiple coaching boards for both head coach and offensive coordinator spots for his past work with running backs and tight ends — including turning Tyler Higbee into a franchise record-breaker this past season for tight ends and rejuvenating Cam Akers to finish with three straight 100-yard games.
Robinson was credited for helping give Matthew Stafford a 41-touchdown campaign in 2021 while also helping spark a turnaround from Baker Mayfield when he arrived to the Rams in December 2022.
Prominent Rams Coordinator Was Ruled Out of AFC Opening: Report
While McVay has the luxury of luring back Robinson and Brown to his 2023 staff, he could also have his defensive coordinator returning as well.
Per nfl.com on Saturday, January 28, the Denver Broncos opted to go in a different direction from Raheem Morris — with University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh emerging as the front runner for that position.
Morris interviewed for the position but has also become considered a strong contender for the Indianapolis Colts opening after conducting two interviews for their head coaching spot.
If Morris isn’t hired in this coaching cycle, McVay can bring back three potential 2023 head coaches and full-time coordinators to his staff.
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Future of Rams Assistants Linked to Prominent OC Opening Revealed