To put it kindly, the Patriots' offense has been a hotter mess than a Las Vegas bachelorette party gone wrong since Josh McDaniels departed for Sin City after the 2021 season. Now, with the return of McDaniels to Foxboro after Mike Vrabel hired him as his offensive coordinator, McDaniels' biggest priority is to clean up this mess.
It won't be an easy fix, as the Patriots have had a revolving door of offensive coordinators in recent years and offensive line coach since McDaniels left to become the Raiders' head coach. In that time, New England's offense has been predictable to defend and has lacked in talent.
That's why bringing back McDaniels was the right choice for Vrabel.
The Patriots decision to re-hire Josh McDaniels might not be popular, but it was the right move
Under McDaniels' watch, the offense was respectable under Cam Newton in 2020 and in Mac Jones' rookie season in 2021. You could argue that Newton testing positive for Covid-19 four weeks into the 2020 season derailed that campaign and that Jones' career turned for the worse once McDaniels left.
McDaniels was a crucial hire for Vrabel and one that he could not screw up. He was an integral architect of the second half of the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady dynasty during his two stints in New England (2006-2008, 2012-2021), and the offense thrived under his tutelage.
Imagine the shifts a young, talented quarterback like Drake Maye will reach under McDaniels' coaching.
McDaniels' track record as a head coach (20-33) isn't the best, but he's a skilled playcaller and one of the modern NFL's best offensive tacticians. With the Patriots likely to hit the free agent market running this offseason for offensive upgrades, McDaniels likely won't be working with the exact same unit that was near the bottom of the NFL in most major categories last sesaon.
There were plenty of arguments as to why the Patriots shouldn't bring back McDaniels, one major one being that he was just another tie to the Brady-Belichick years and that the Krafts were ultimately not giving Vrabel any control. But, bringing McDaniels back was ultimately the head coach's call, and that coupled with the hiring of Detriot defensive line coach Terrell Williams - a former Vrabel assistant in Tennessee - as defensive coordinator, the Patriots ultimately made two sound decisions this week.
Once Vrabel was hired, the noise that McDaniels would be returning to Foxboro grew louder. From a stability standpoint, it would be safe to assume McDaniels is in it for the long haul.
His family still lives in New England. He's flopped twice as a head coach, so there's no risk of him bolting for a head coaching job in a couple of seasons. Maye needs stability as a young quarterback, and bringing McDaniels back gives him and the Patriots just that.
It'll be a process and a learning curve for both coach and quarterback, but Maye and McDaniels will likely have a great relationship on and off the field for years to come in New England.