As the Patriots are deciding who their next head coach will be, with rumors suggesting it will inevitably be Mike Vrabel, another former dynasty-era player just became available to hire. The Dolphins unexpectedly chose to fire Wes Welker last week, who had served as Miami's wide receivers coach since 2022.
During that time, he worked with one of the better receiver duos in the league: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, both of whom recorded back-to-back 1,000+ yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. They weren't able to replicate that production this past year, primarily due to the health issues of their quarterbacks, which should not count against Welker's coaching whatsoever.
But they still chose to move on from the longtime Patriots receiver and kick/punt returner, making him available to return to New England, where he saw his most success.
He becomes a primary target, especially if Vrabel is hired to succeed Jerod Mayo, as Robert Kraft loves to bring back former players to the coaching staff. Fortunately, in this case, it wouldn't be a bad idea.
Wes Welker could be a solid upgrade for the Patriots coaching staff in 2025
One of the biggest problems with the Patriots' offense during the 2024 season was their receiving corps. Besides the apparent lack of star power and talent, there also seemed to be an issue with the coaching staff, which caused some of the players to air their grievances on social media during the year.
It was likely due to Tyler Hughes's inexperience in that role, which created another layer the team was unable to overcome within the offense. That led to the disappointing rookie seasons of Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk, on top of the eventually released K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton.
Given Welker's lengthy experience as a coach, beginning his new career in 2017, he would be quite the upgrade for the role if he were interested in the job.
Besides being one of the more legendary names of the Patriots dynasty, he was impressive for his size and versatility and created a whole new look for teams regarding their slot receivers. His knowledge and understanding would inevitably help guys like DeMario Douglas, who struggled in 2024, and he could help mold the rookies into productive members of the offense.
Welker could be exactly what the Patriots' receivers need after how poorly they performed last year and could be argued for the past few years. His return, however, will almost certainly depend on who the Krafts decide to hire as the next head coach.
If it's Vrabel, it's difficult to rule out Welker's return to Foxboro.