Before the chaos of NFL free agency and the arrival of a new rookie class, several teams hired new coaches to lead their offenses. These choices can make or break a head coach, a quarterback, or both. Below are the changes (as of this writing) and what to expect in 2023.
Expert Consensus 2023 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Top-50
NFL Coordinator Changes/Impact (2023 Fantasy Football)
Arizona Cardinals
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Drew Petzing
The new regime in Arizona has one goal – to get the most out of franchise quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray’s coming off both a disappointing statistical season and a torn ACL which contributed to the Cardinals finishing the season at 4-13.
That new regime, starting with head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, has some experience with quarterbacks. Gannon saw up close the development of MVP-runner up Jalen Hurts. Petzing oversaw a Browns offense forced to play Jacoby Brissett while Deshaun Watson served his suspension. Brissett did a serviceable job in a backup role, throwing for over 2,600 yards and 12 touchdowns in 11 starts.
Petzing will have a much better weapon in Murray and should be able to guide him back to fantasy relevance.
Baltimore Ravens
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Todd Monken
Fresh off leading the offense for the back-to-back National Champion Georgia Bulldogs, Todd Monken re-entered the professional ranks, taking over the Baltimore Ravens offense. The choice couldn’t be more different than the previous Ravens’ offensive coordinator, Greg Roman. In 10 seasons as an offensive coordinator, Roman’s offenses never finished worse than ninth in rush attempts. Meanwhile, Monken, in his four seasons as a pro offensive coordinator, finished in the top four of pass attempts twice.
The news comes as the Ravens attempt to bring back quarterback Lamar Jackson, who’s currently negotiating a new contract. Should Jackson be back in Baltimore, expect his passing numbers to spike.
Carolina Panthers
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Thomas Brown
Add Thomas Brown to the long list of Sean McVay assistants who have moved up the coaching ranks. Brown had been the assistant head coach of the Rams the last two seasons, including their Super Bowl-winning season, before being chosen by new Panthers head coach Frank Reich to lead the Carolina offense.
In Carolina, the bar is low when it comes to improvement. The team finished the season 20th in points last season and 29th in yards. Brown could also have new players all over the offense in an attempt to jumpstart that offense, including a new quarterback. The Panthers do have the ninth pick in the upcoming draft, and there are several quarterbacks to choose from.
Dallas Cowboys
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Brian Schottenheimer
Luckily for Cowboys fans, Brian Schottenheimer will be the offensive coordinator in name only, while head coach Mike McCarthy actually calls the plays. In 12 seasons as a coordinator, Schotteneheimer-led offenses have finished in the top 10 in scoring four times and in the top 10 in yards just once. Meanwhile, in McCarthy’s 19 seasons as either a coordinator or coach (before his Dallas gig), his teams finished in the top 10 of scoring and yards (11 times) than not (eight times).
There is the potential for plenty of personnel turnover (no pun intended) on the Dallas offense, but it should remain one of the league’s best.
Houston Texans
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Slowik
Another year, another former 49ers assistant was promoted. In Houston’s case, they got two. They first hired former San Francisco defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their head coach. He then brought along former San Francisco passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik to be his offensive coordinator.
Slowik will take over a young and inexperienced Houston offense, with a new quarterback widely expected to be taken in the draft. Luckily, Slowik has some experience with the position being in flux. San Francisco started three quarterbacks throughout the 2022 season yet, as a team, finished 13th in passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns. So whoever starts at quarterback for the Texans should be in good hands.
Indianapolis Colts
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Jim Bob Cooter
Whichever quarterback ends up starting for Indianapolis, expect them to pass. A lot. New Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter led the Lions’ offense for four seasons and finished no worse than 11th in pass attempts in any of those campaigns. Even when he’s not leading the offense, he’s guided some of the NFL’s best up-and-coming quarterbacks. Last season he was the passing game coordinator for Jacksonville, where Trevor Lawrence finished seventh in fantasy scoring. The year before, he was a Philadelphia consultant right as Jalen Hurts took off.
Los Angeles Chargers
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Kellen Moore
With a coaching resume like Kellen Moore’s, it’s hard to understand why he was let go. But the Cowboys’ loss is the Chargers’ gain, as Moore will now have Justin Herbert to plan around.
In Moore, the Chargers get a coordinator who led the Cowboys’ offense to three top-six finishes in points and two league-leading finishes in points and portends to continued good fortune for Herbert, who has averaged over 4,500 yards and 30 touchdowns each season of his three-year career. So the good (fantasy) times should continue to roll in LA.
Los Angeles Rams
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Mike LaFleur
Mike LaFleur’s experience as an offensive coordinator has been brief, so it’s hard to say if his presence in Los Angeles will be a positive development. He’ll work under one of the best offensive minds in the game, Sean McVay, but LaFleur’s stint as the Jets’ offensive coordinator before this was uninspiring.
He does have experience in the division, however, acting as the passing game coordinator for San Francisco for four years. While there, he managed to make Jimmy Garoppolo a competent and effective quarterback. LaFleur will be given much better tools in Los Angeles with Matthew Stafford (hopefully) back from injury, along with Cooper Kupp. If LaFleur can just steady the ship, the Rams’ offense will look like its old self.
New England Patriots
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Bill O’Brien
The mere presence of a competent offensive mind in the form of Bill O’Brien should help everyone in New England. The last time O’Brien coordinated the Patriots’ offense, quarterback Tom Brady threw for 5,000-plus yards, receiver Wes Welker topped 1,500 receiving yards, and tight end Rob Gronkowski had the best statistical season of his career, capping it with 17 touchdowns. And while no one should expect a repeat of that season, everyone in New England in 2023 should benefit, especially quarterback Mac Jones. Jones took a step back last season, barely averaging more than 200 yards passing and throwing just 14 touchdowns in 14 games. It’s a low bar to clear, but Jones should be much better in 2023 with O’Brien.
New York Jets
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Nathaniel Hackett
The quarterback situation in New York is one of the biggest mysteries of the young off-season. If the Jets do end up with Aaron Rodgers, pairing him with Hackett should be seen as a positive. In Hackett’s three seasons as Green Bay’s offensive coordinator, the Packers finished in the top 10 twice, including leading the league in scoring in 2020.
If the Jets land someone other than Rodgers, don’t expect Hackett to have the same results as he did in Green Bay. Hackett finished in the top half of either scoring or yards just once in his five non-Packers years as an offensive coordinator. And that doesn’t even include his disaster of a year in Denver as its head coach. So this hire should be graded a TBD until we know who will be under center.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Dave Canales
Just three seasons ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were Super Bowl champions with an offense led by future Hall of Famer Tom Brady at quarterback and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich. Entering 2023, the starting quarterback is TBD (unless you’re a Kyle Trask truther), and the offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, will be leading an offense for the first time. Canales had spent the last 13 seasons in various positions coaching the offense in Seattle. But in those 13 seasons, the offense did finish in the top 10 in scoring. At a minimum, Canales has been around outstanding offenses. Now he just needs a quarterback.
Tennessee Titans
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Tim Kelly
At just 36 years old, Tim Kelly is already on his second stint as an offensive coordinator, having previously held the same position in Houston. Perhaps his biggest claim to fame was overseeing two of quarterback DeShaun Watson’s Pro Bowl seasons, capped by a season that saw Watson throw for over 4,800 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Kelly’s hiring will be good news for whoever the Titans quarterback is. The position is in flux as Tennessee has a decision to make on veteran starter Ryan Tannehill, second-year quarterback Malik Willis or a third-yet-unnamed option out there. At least the receivers, led by Treylon Burks, should see a boost in their fantasy value.
Washington Commanders
2023 Offensive Coordinator: Eric Bieniemy
It’s hard to tell just how good of a coordinator Eric Bieniemy will be. In his five years in Kansas City, he’s had possibly the greatest quarterback and tight end of all time at his disposal. Bieniemy was good enough to lead them to those heights, and the team finished no worse than sixth in yards or points.
But Bieniemy has a challenge in Washington. In place of Patrick Mahomes, he gets (for now) fifth-round pick Sam Howell. And instead of Travis Kelce, he has Logan Thomas, who, while good, will never be mistaken for the All-Pro. Luckily there’s nowhere to go but up after Washington finished 24th in points last season.
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Michael Moore is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @DLF_Moore.