An offseason entire of rumors is becoming all too common for the Patriots over the last five years, and unfortunately, this year is no different. It began with the impending fate of Jerod Mayo, which ended up becoming his dismissal, to decide who would be his successor, inevitably Mike Vrabel. Now, speculation surrounds who the new head coach will hire for his staff.
Most of the chatter has been around the offensive coordinator, as the development of Drake Maye must be one of the biggest focuses when putting together a competent staff. Immediately upon Vrabel's arrival, rumors swirled that old friend Josh McDaniels was among the favorites to take the job, returning to Foxboro after departing for the Raiders to become their head coach in 2022.
However, the Patriots spent the past week interviewing other candidates for the role, none of which included McDaniels.
It seemed like the talk about his impending return was maybe just that; talk. But NFL insider Ian Rapoport all but confirmed his likely return during a segment on NFL Game Day on Saturday afternoon.
It's looking like Josh McDaniels will be back on the Patriots sideline in 2025
Despite a few other interviews and a lot of reports throwing other names into the ring, it's looking more and more like Vrabel will enlist the help of an old friend in McDaniels to lead the Patriots offense for the 2025 season.
Rapoport claimed the longtime OC remains the favorite, which seems to imply that an announcement could be made soon.
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay with @TomPelissero and @MikeGarafolo: The #Patriots began their search for an OC and Josh McDaniels should figure prominently; A look at the interest in #Lions DC Aaron Glenn; Where the #Jets search stands for coordinators whose team play today. pic.twitter.com/m1ToXBCbHQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2025
While a staff made up of former Patriots players and coaches may not be ideal to many fans, an established head coach like Vrabel is hard to say is a bad thing after what the Patriots went through last season. On top of that, McDaniels is considered one of the best offensive coordinators in the history of the NFL, so pairing him with Drake Maye feels like a well-thought-out decision, especially since it's fair to assume McDaniels won't be getting another shot at head coach anytime soon.
Therefore, he won't be leaving abruptly in the near future, which is the last thing the quarterback will need as he progresses in the league.
A bonus are the reports that McDaniels has been working to expand his playbook by spending time at colleges since he was fired from the Raiders in 2023. So, for those concerned about how he could work with a young and mobile quarterback, this seems to put some of those concerns to rest.