Updated Feb. 12, 2026, 6:37 p.m. ET
The Atlanta Falcons are going in a different direction under head coach Kevin Stefanski. While the team retained defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, the same courtesy was not extended to offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and the rest of the offensive staff.
Robinson saw the writing on the wall and took a job as the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now it appears that former Falcons passing-game coordinator/wide receivers coach T.J. Yates is following Robinson to Tampa Bay.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Buccaneers have hired Yates as their passing-game coordinator. Tampa Bay also brought in Chandler Whitmer as quarterbacks coach and Andrew Mitchell as assistant offensive line coach.
Yates, a former NFL quarterback who played for the Falcons in 2014, joined Atlanta’s staff as a passing-game specialist in 2021. He was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2022, serving that role for two seasons before Raheem Morris took over in 2024.
Morris opted to keep Yates on staff and named him as the team’s new quarterbacks coach. That didn’t last long, though, as Yates was named passing-game coordinator in 2025 and later took over as wide receivers coach during the season once Ike Hilliard was fired.
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Yates and Robinson worked closely together over the last two seasons in Atlanta, so it’s not a total surprise to see them reunite in Tampa Bay.
The Falcons hired former Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn as an assistant special teams coach on Thursday.
