Falcons OC Tommy Rees tries to reward Kevin Stefanski’s faith in him

Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski’s took an act of faith in hiring Tommy Rees as his offensive coordinator. It’s a decision that will shape, at the very least, the beginning of his tenure.

Rees, 33, worked with Stefanski in Cleveland over the last two seasons, serving as offensive coordinator a year ago. Rees took over play-calling duties after Week 10 as the Browns sought answers in a lost season. Those answers never came as the Browns continued their downward spiral.

Despite the team’s terrible offensive results, Stefanski wanted Rees to join him in Atlanta as his play caller once again. The Falcons hired Stefanski for his offensive aptitude. And he hired Rees to see his concepts come to fruition.

That’s an endorsement of Rees’ acumen, and an indicator that Stefanski puts the Browns’ offensive issues more on talent than coaching.

“(Stefanski’s faith in me has meant) a lot,” Rees said Tuesday. “We didn’t have a huge relationship before we got to Cleveland. I was fortunate to get hired there as tight end coach a couple of years ago. I was able to progress and when the (coaching change) happened and he called — look, we all want to do right by Kev.

“I said it last year, I was there for him. I wanted to work for him. He’s a guy I look up to, and he does things the right way and handles his program the right way and his people the right way. Every day we’re around him learning, it’s a benefit to our staff.”

The Browns were a football catastrophe during Rees’ time with the team. They went 3-14 in 2024, when Rees was the pass game specialist and tight ends coach, and they went 5-12 with him as OC in 2025, resulting in Stefanski and company’s dismissal.

Stefanski and Rees’ offense averaged just 16.4 points per game — second-worst in the NFL — and 262.1 yards per game, the third-worst last season. The Browns averaged 165.2 passing yards per game and their quarterbacks threw for 16 total touchdowns, both the second-lowest marks in the NFL. They averaged 97 yards on the ground, sixth-lowest in the league.

There is a major caveat here: The Browns severely lacked talent. This was not reminiscent of the two teams Stefanski guided to the playoffs during his time there.

They started three different quarterbacks, one in his 40s (Joe Flacco) and two rookies (Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders). They lacked premier weapons. They had one of the worst offensive lines. And they lacked veteran player leadership to help stabilize the situation. The fallout from the failed Deshaun Watson trade was felt throughout the offense and organization.

Here, Rees gets a new life. He inherits all-world running back Bijan Robinson, blue-chip receiver Drake London and multiple accomplished players along the offensive line. As a former tight end coach, he’s excited “for all the different ways” they’ll use Kyle Pitts.

The Falcons have an uncertain quarterback situation as Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa vie to start — and the depth is subpar across the offense — but this is a far superior starting point to what Rees had in Cleveland.

Clearly, Stefanski didn’t see his protégé as a problem. In trying to win this breakup with Cleveland, Stefanski is betting Rees will execute and even uplift his offense.

“Kevin and I, this will be year 3 together,” Rees said. “A couple of different roles together. So there’s a familiarity there. I know what he wants, he knows different things to help me and support the offensive staff. He’s a tremendous leader and somebody I look up to. Very fortunate that he’s our head coach.”

Rees, a former quarterback at Notre Dame who was part of the team that lost the BCS national championship in 2012, has long been appreciated in the coaching world. He coached with the Chargers in 2016, where he worked with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and future Hall of Fame quarterback Philip Rivers.

Rees spent time at his alma mater before becoming Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator for one year at Alabama. Rees, despite enduring fan criticism throughout that campaign, helped the Crimson Tide to an SEC crown and appearance in the College Football Playoff in Saban’s final season. Saban said Rees was “one of the brightest young coaches that I’ve been around in a long time” in 2023. Rees’ past players have spoken well of their time under his tutelage as well.

He is now the result of his football journey, an amalgamation of what he took from other successful coaches. Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom described him as “intense.” His fiery demeanor and diligence — two admittedly cliché talking points about coaches — have drawn applause.