Former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is finally free of the Cleveland Browns and their never-ending quarterback drama.
Rees has had a meteoric rise through the ranks since taking over playcalling for Brian Kelly's Fighting Irish and then departing for Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide. This past season, he served as the OC for the Cleveland Browns under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Over the last few months, he's interviewed for or viewed as a candidate for several jobs, including Penn State and Michigan.
On Wednesday, Rees, also a former Notre Dame quarterback, officially followed Stefanski to Atlanta. The move, which had been hinted at for a few weeks, means he'll be the offensive coordinator for the Falcons and continue building a resume that should see him leading his own NFL team sooner, rather than later.
The #Falcons are expected to hire former #Browns OC Tommy Rees as the new OC for coach Kevin Stefanski, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2026
The favorite all along, Rees now lands in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/06VrkKGxGJ
Former Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees reunites with Kevin Stefanski in Atlanta after Browns stint
Insider Ian Rappoport was the first to break the news and added that Rees was always the favorite to be the offensive coordinator for a Falcons team trying to build on a solid finish to the 2025 season.
His move to Atlanta also takes a candidate off the board for the Browns, who still haven't found their replacement for Stefanski. The team continues to compete with the likes of Tennessee and now the Buffalo Bills, who fired Sean McDermott one day after the Bills were eliminated from the playoffs in an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.
Cleveland's offense struggled throughout most of the 2025 season, though the Browns' interviewing him for head coach and the interest he's generated from other programs show Tommy Rees wasn't blamed for those struggles. It's only a matter of time before the Notre Dame alum jumps up the ladder one more time and gets a head coaching job.