Kevin Stefanski and the Atlanta Falcons are collecting seasoned offensive assistants like infinity stones right now. They already brought two of his former assistants, Tommy Rees and Bill Callahan, to Atlanta, which he followed up by hiring ex-Browns' OC Alex Van Pelt to be the team's new QB coach.
Between those moves alone, you probably thought Stefanski was cooking with the assembly of this staff, and you'd be dead on. However, a Saturday night bombshell just dialed his vision up a notch, because the Falcons hired ex-Jets OC Tanner Engstrand to be their new passing game coordinator.
The #Falcons are hiring Tanner Engstrand as offensive passing game coordinator, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 1, 2026
The former #Jets OC had multiple options and has been a popular name in recent days. Engstrand will join coach Kevin Stefanski and the new offensive staff in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/cZ3bXzQtfE
This hire now means that the Dirty Birds now have three offensive assistants with recent offensive coordinator or play-calling experience, which is incredibly beneficial given how much the offense struggled in 2025, and has fans excited about the trajectory of Stefanski's vision for this franchise.
Falcons add ex-Jets OC Tanner Engstrand to be their passing game coordinator in Kevin Stefanski's latest great move
You may look at Engstrand's season with the Jets and scoff, but the numbers don't tell the whole picture. He was a first-time play-caller who spent several seasons learning under Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson in Detroit and was once regarded as one of the brightest names in coaching circles.
The 43-year-old's decision to follow Aaron Glenn to New York didn't reap the benefits he was expecting, but it wasn't all his fault. For starters, the Jets were starting Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor, and Brady Cook at QB this season and Garrett Wilson was limited to just seven games due to injury woes.
Cook was an undrafted rookie, Fields is basically incapable of reading a defense, and Taylor's best days are behind him. The Jets had virtually nothing for Engstrand to work besides Wilson and Breece Hall, so it's hard to truly judge him despite his success as Johnson's right-hand man with the Lions.
It's concerning to see our new passing game coordinator lead the NFL's worst passing offense, but he had no functional QB to work with, yet was still able to scheme players open consistently and many Jets fans think he was scapegoated for offensive problems that were not all on him and deserved another year.
Luckily, the two-time Coach of the Year was able to capitalize and bring Engstrand to Atlanta as he reportedly had many other suitors. There's a chance this could just be a short stop before he gets another shot to call plays, but regardless of how long this lasts, Falcons fans should be grateful.
Nobody saw this coming, but it's the most pleasant surprise Stefanski could have delivered, especially for Michael Penix Jr.