Zac to the Future? Patriots Interviewing Rams Pass Game Coach

Having started his NFL career as a New England Patriots draft pick, might Los Angeles Rams coach Zac Robinson be ready to take his pro football path full circle?

FOXBORO — The New England Patriots continue to prove that ties always have, and will continue to bind when it comes to personnel — both on the field and in the coaches room. 

Less than one week after naming Jerod Mayo as the 15th head coach in franchise history, the Pats are reportedly set to interview Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Zac Robinson for their offensive coordinator position on Tuesday.

The news comes on the heels of the Pats reportedly interviewing Rams’ tight ends coach Nick Caley, who coached with the Pats from 2015-22, on Monday. New England is actively searching for a candidate to replace former coordinator Bill O’Brien — who was recently named to the same position at Ohio State University.

Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Zac Robinson is also a former New England Patriots quarterback / Cred: USA Today Images

Robinson, a standout college quarterback at Oklahoma State, began his NFL career as a Patriots seventh-round (No. 250 overall) selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. However, the Littleton, Colorado native was waived by New England upon the completion of training camp. He split his rookie campaign with both the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, before spending the next two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, an elbow injury ended his playing career prior to the 2014 season. 

Since 2019, Robinson has served on the Rams offensive coaching staff. Starting as an assistant quarterbacks coach under head coach Sean McVay, he briefly switched duties to assistant wide receivers coach in 2020. In 2021, he returned to coaching the Rams’ quarterbacks, and helped guide Matthew Stafford and company to a victory in Super Bowl LVI over the Cincinnati Bengals. For the past two seasons, Robinson has held the dual roles of pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Whether it be Robinson, Caley or another candidate, the Pats new offenisve coordinator will be granted the unenviable task of repairing one of the most ineffective offenses in the NFL. Despite O’Brien’s efforts to repair a perceivably damaged unit in 2022, New England’s scoring unit regressed even further in 2023. The Patriots finished the season ranked No. 32 in scoring offense, averaging 13.9 points per game, while managing only 27 touchdowns.

Patriots' Robert Kraft Reveals ‘Mayo Moment’

The Patriots are expected to act quickly in filling the three top positions on Mayo’s staff. Several interviews have either been conducted or scheduled for their openings at defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. 

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