NFL Playcallers 2026: Brian Fleury Debuts as 18 New Coaches Take Over

The 2026 NFL season begins with 18 new offensive playcallers, including Brian Fleury for the Seattle Seahawks and Declan Doyle for the Baltimore Ravens.

The 2026 NFL season commences in six days with a Super Bowl LX rematch featuring the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Scheduled for Wednesday at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, the opener highlights a significant shift in coaching ranks as Brian Fleury debuts as Seattle’s playcaller. Fleury replaces Klint Kubiak, who departed to lead the Las Vegas Raiders after guiding the Seahawks to the league's third-highest scoring average at 28.4 points per game in 2025. On the opposing sideline, Josh McDaniels, now 50 years old, enters his 15th season as the Patriots' offensive coordinator and his 25th year in the league.

Fleury is one of 18 new offensive playcallers across the league this year. In Buffalo, Joe Brady transitions from offensive coordinator to head coach while retaining playcalling duties for quarterback Josh Allen. Under Brady’s direction since November 2023, the Bills rank first in offensive EPA and second in points per game at 29.6. Notably, Buffalo designed runs on 59% of first-down plays under Brady, a sharp increase from the 42% rate recorded during the earlier portion of Allen’s career. To support this ground-heavy approach, former tight ends coach Rob Boras has been named run game coordinator.

Youth and Veteran Transitions in the AFC North

Declan Doyle becomes the youngest playcaller in the NFL at age 30, taking over the Baltimore Ravens' offense. Doyle previously served as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator in 2025, where quarterback Caleb Williams recorded 128 pass attempts outside the pocket. In Baltimore, Doyle has moved Lamar Jackson under center after the quarterback spent 95% of his career in the pistol formation. This follows a 2024 season where the Ravens finished with the No. 1 offense under Todd Monken, who is now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Monken’s Baltimore units led the NFL with a 46% designed rush rate between 2023 and 2025.

In Pittsburgh, Mike McCarthy takes over as head coach and primary playcaller for 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. During McCarthy’s five-year tenure with the Cowboys, his offenses ran slant routes on 6.8% of plays, the second-highest rate in the league. Meanwhile, Zac Taylor enters his eighth season calling plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite Joe Burrow missing nine games last year, Cincinnati ranked 13th in points per drive and maintains the NFL’s highest designed pass percentage over the last four seasons at 67%.

Strategic Shifts in the AFC South and West

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has relinquished playcalling duties to 31-year-old offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Webb, who was an active NFL player four seasons ago, oversaw an offense that ranked second in dropbacks outside the pocket at 20.8% last year while serving as pass game coordinator. In Jacksonville, Liam Coen enters his second year with the Jaguars after leading them to an 8-0 finish in 2025. During that stretch, Trevor Lawrence threw 19 touchdowns, helping the team lead the NFL in scoring at 32.5 points per game.

Brian Daboll joins the Tennessee Titans as offensive coordinator for his 13th season as a playcaller, tasked with developing 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Daboll’s former team, the New York Giants, utilized 11 personnel on 68% of plays during his tenure. The Titans actually led the league in 11 personnel usage last season at 70%, though they averaged a near-league-low 4.5 yards per play in that grouping. Elsewhere in the division, Shane Steichen continues calling plays for the Indianapolis Colts, where he utilized play-action on 29.1% of dropbacks since 2023.

Veteran Continuity and New Faces in the East

Bobby Slowik enters his second season with the Miami Dolphins, now serving as offensive coordinator after a year as passing game coordinator. The Dolphins recorded a 14% screen attempt rate last season, the second-highest in the NFL. Slowik will now integrate quarterback Malik Willis into an offense that features running back De’Von Achane. In New York, 64-year-old Frank Reich returns to the league to call plays for the Jets. Reich’s previous units with the Colts utilized five receivers in pass routes on 75% of plays, and he now aims to improve a Jets offense that finished 29th in scoring last year.

Andy Reid begins his 28th consecutive season as a playcaller, his 14th with the Kansas City Chiefs. Reid is reunited with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is entering his 10th season. The Chiefs led the NFL in screen pass frequency last year at 15% and have consistently ranked in the top six for dropbacks outside the pocket over the last three seasons. For 2026, Reid is prioritizing an under-center approach to support running back Kenneth Walker III and receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy.