Zac Robinson can turn his nemesis into an ally after Falcons' coaching shuffle

Now that Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot have been shown the door, it would be a genuine shock if Zac Robinson is retained by the next Atlanta Falcons' coaching staff. The expectation is that Robinson won't struggle to find work, especially if Morris lands another head coaching opportunity.

Right now, his future in Atlanta up in the air, which has seen the 39-year-old emerge as a popular candidate for many of the teams with openings at OC. However, there is a chance he stays in the NFC South in 2026, as NFL Insider Ian Rapoport called him a name to watch for the Bucs' OC vacancy.

As NFC South rivals, the Bucs and Falcons already have bad blood, but that has only been amplified after the Dirty Birds eliminated their division rivals from playoff contention in Week 18. So if Robinson turns heel to join Todd Bowles' staff after that, he would become the new public enemy #1 in Atlanta.

Zac Robinson could be a candidate to join Todd Bowles as the Bucs' new offensive coordinator

After a 6-1 start, the Buccaneers lost eight of their final 10 games to squander the division lead, which many thought would get Todd Bowles fired. Instead, he was given another year, but several assistants were fired, the most notable of which was the dismissal of first-year OC Josh Grizzard.

In recent seasons, the Bucs' OC job has become a launch pad to head coaching success, which is how things played out for both Dave Canales and Liam Coen. So if Robinson is serious about proving himself as a play-caller, there might not be a better landing spot than the opening in Tampa Bay.

The Buccaneers one of the most talented offensive skill groups in the NFL, so they have no excuse to not be elite. Baker Mayfield is throwing to Emeka Egbuka, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Bucky Irving, so the fact the Bucs' offense ranked 21st in total offense this season is an indictment on Grizzard.

In each of his first two seasons calling plays, the Atlanta offense ranked inside the top half of the NFL in total offense, so even though Robinson struggled with the development of Michael Penix Jr. due to a weird schematic fit, the offense was still productive, especially down the stretch this season.

Something worth noting is the familiarity between he and Mayfield. During the former No. 1 overall pick's short stint with the Rams back in 2022, Robinson was his quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator and he interviewed for Tampa Bay's OC job back in 2024 when they hired Coen.

It's no guarantee he'll be the hire, especially with many former head coaches available, but he can break the hearts of Falcons' fans if he's successful elsewhere—especially in Tampa.