QB Confidential: Which NFL coach has the best offensive mind?

The anonymous survey questions posed to 38 NFL passers on FOX Sports’ Quarterback Confidential asked for plenty of praise for the passing position, but also for their thoughts on the innovative coaching staffs that lead successful NFL offenses.

So we asked: “Which NFL coach has the most offensive mindset?”

The current crop of NFL head coaches tend to be somewhat offensive-minded, with 18 of the 32 having come from an offensive background and six of the last eight winners of the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award coming from that side of the court. There are veteran coaches with years of success, as well as young phenoms not yet 40 years old who are respected throughout the league.

Although the voting was expected to be a close race between three coaches, it ended up being a two-way battle, with 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan leading the way with 12 votes and Chiefs’ Andy Reid coming in second with eight.

“A lot of teams are trying to do what they do,” one quarterback said of Reid’s offense.

But many of those teams will be without superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who led Kansas City to consecutive wins and three titles over the past five years.

[RELATED: QB Confidential: NFL quarterbacks pick the league’s smartest passer]

Perhaps developing the final pick in the 2022 draft, Brock Purdy, into a Pro Bowl quarterback is why Shanahan, whose team has lost two Super Bowls to the Chiefs in the past five years, was chosen over Reid. Many quarterbacks also cited the influence of Shanahan’s coaching tree across the NFL, which includes Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, Texans officiating coach Bobby Slowick and Rams officiating coach Mike LaFleur.

It was somewhat surprising to see Rams head coach Sean McVay, who is only 38 years old and has a Super Bowl ring and a rich coaching resume of his own, finish third with only three votes. McDaniel, 41, who worked as a junior assistant under both Shanahan and McVay and went 20-14 in two seasons with Miami, also received three votes.

While the quarterbacks did not specify that they would choose the head coach, nearly all did. One quarterback said that if he had two votes, he would vote for Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is likely to be an NFL head coach next season. “He’s a hidden talent,” the quarterback said.

In total, 13 coaches received votes, but it’s worth mentioning, with a smile, that some quarterbacks may have voted in support of someone they’ve worked with in the past.

End result:

Kyle Shanahan, 49ers: 12
Andy Reid, Chiefs: 8
Mike McDaniel, Dolphins: 3
Sean McVay, Rams: 3
Brian Callahan, Titans: 1
Matt LaFleur, Packers: 1
Mike McCarthy, Cowboys: 1
Kevin O’Connell, Vikings: 1
Sean Payton, Broncos: 1
Arthur Smith, Steelers OC: 1
Shane Steichen, Colts: 1
Zac Taylor, Bengals: 1
Alex Van Pelt, Patriots OC: 1

Greg Auman is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports and has been covering the NFL for the past 10 years. Buccaneers He is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter. @gregauman.

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