Falcons to Hire Former Rams Coordinator As An Assistant

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons have reportedly hired former Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn as their assistant special teams coach, according to a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero. This will be the second time that Blackburn has served as an assistant under the newly named special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman.

The assistant spent several years with the Carolina Panthers as an assistant special teams coach (2016-17) before being promoted to special teams coordinator (2018-21). He then took a post with the Tennessee Titans (2022), where he spent one season as an assistant.

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It was with the Titans that Aukerman was the special teams coordinator above Blackburn.

After his one-year stint in Nashville, Blackburn spent the last three years (2023-25) with the Los Angeles Rams under Sean McVay, again as a coordinator. However, he was fired on December 20th after an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks. In that game, the Seahawks returned a punt for a touchdown, and his unit missed a critical field goal.

That instance was one of several miscues in 2025 that cost the Rams games, but none worse than their first loss of the season to the Philadelphia Eagles. In that game, the Rams had their final two drives finish in blocked kicks, including what would have been a game-winner.

Aukerman, who also coached McVay at Miami (OH) from 2005-2008, said Wednesday that he still has a good relationship with the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning coach.

“Sean's awesome. I really enjoyed my time there, and I ended up doing a little stint there with the Rams, then Sean tried to get me out there a couple times,” he said. “To get an opportunity to know him and then see him succeed like he's doing right now. It's kind of a proud moment.”

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Aukerman was introduced to the media on Wednesday. He comes to Atlanta after 27 years in coaching, with 17 of those coming in the NFL ranks. His most recent stop came with the Dolphins in 2025, his first and only season in Miami.

Aukerman’s unit last season finished with the NFL’s seventh-best EPA, while the Falcons finished 29th league-wide by that same metric. The Dolphins had a strong kicking game (93.1% conversion rate, 4th in the NFL), blocked two field goals, and finished around the middle of the league in terms of return yardage.

Before joining the Dolphins, Aukerman spent a single season with the Rams as an assistant special teams coach, six seasons as the special teams coordinator with the Tennessee Titans (2018-23), and one season as an assistant special teams coach with the Titans (2017). He helped Tennessee reach four playoff appearances in seven seasons, winning two AFC South division titles, advancing to the AFC Championship in 2019, and securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2021.