Through the first month of 2025, the Atlanta Falcons' offense has been one of the most productive units in football, and a lot of that can be attributed to offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's work with Michael Penix Jr. At first there were growing pains, but Robinson's move from the booth to the sidelines paid immediate dividends in Week 4.
The Falcons downed the Commanders 34-27 and their 435 total yards marked a season-high. The second-year play-caller has quickly emerged as one of the hottest names in coaching circles, and has continually been linked to the head coaching job at Oklahoma State.
Should Robinson depart for Stillwater, the Dirty Birds will obviously have to return to the drawing board and bring someone in to continue Penix's ascent. It's evident that Raheem Morris expected interest to follow after hiring Robinson, but if the dominos fall just right, his succession plan is painfully obvious.
Mike McDaniel could become the Falcons' perfect Zac Robinson replacement
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was once considered one of the most exciting young head coaches in the NFL, but has been sluggish as of late, failing to recapture his early success. He led Miami to the playoffs in his first two seasons at the helm before narrowly missing the postseason in 2024.
Due to a lack of playoff success, McDaniel is firmly on the hot seat, if the 1-4 Dolphins are unable to turn their season around, there is a real chance that the 42-year-old will be coaching elsewhere in 2026.
McDaniel is no stranger to Atlanta. He spent two seasons as an offensive assistant for the Falcons under Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan from 2015-2016 and coached the Super Bowl team before following Shanahan to the Bay Area when he became the head coach of the 49ers.
The biggest benefit of hiring McDaniel is that he has experience with coaching a left-handed quarterback. He has been largely responsible for the development of Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, while his offensive scheme is known for utilizing speed to stretch the field and doesn't provide much strain on the QB.
Tagovailoa even led the NFL in passing yards back in 2023, but injury woes have seen him become a shell of his old self. Meanwhile, Penix boasts one of the strongest arms in football and more vertical juice—so with a strong crop of weapons in place, the former No. 8 overall pick should continue to help this Falcons offense emerge as one of the league's most dangerous.
For now, Robinson remains in Atlanta, and the Falcons’ offense is soaring, but a return to his alma mater could see the Dirty Birds turn to a familiar face to right the ship in his absence.