The New England Patriots revamped their staff this offseason, and it's paid major dividends. Mike Vrabel replaced Jerod Mayo as the head coach, bringing back Josh McDaniels as the OC and his former assistant HC in Tennessee, Terrell Williams, as the defensive coordinator.
The Patriots sit at 9-2 through eleven weeks, and the staff is a major reason why.
Not only is the group having success now, but they have proven they can be successful in the past: Vrabel was the COY in 2021, and McDaniels has had two stints as a head coach, both stemming from his excellence as an offensive playcaller.
McDaniels won't likely be hired to be a head coach again for the foreseeable future, but another offensive mind could be on the way out come the end of the season. 39-year-old Thomas Brown, the team's tight ends coach and passing game coordinator, could get looks as a head coach, according to NFL.com's Tom Pelissero, which would be a major blow to the offensive staff.
Patriots' Thomas Brown could become a head coach soon
Brown is no stranger to high coaching positions in the NFL. As Pelissero states, Brown was collateral damage in a pair of disasters involving head coaches in 2023 and 2024, as he was Bryce Young's offensive coordinator when Frank Reich was fired after 11 games, and then worked under Matt Eberflus before his eventual firing.
In 2024, with Chicago, Brown went from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach in a matter of 18 days, an almost ridiculous transition.
Brown became the play caller in Carolina in 2023 after six games and six losses under Reich, and the Panthers immediately won their first game of the year, beating the Texans 15-13 for Bryce Young's first-ever win. Chuba Hubbard would rush for 88 yards that game, the second-highest total from any Panther that year.
The Bears also broke their 11-game losing streak to the Packers in Week 18 of 2024, their first time beating Green Bay since 2018.
In 2025, the Patriots' passing game has exploded, from last in passing yards per game to 7th in the league. While Maye's development, offensive upgrades, and Josh McDaniels all play a role, Thomas Brown has helped elevate this team to new heights through the passing game. As nice as it would be to keep him on the staff, Pelissero has every reason to think he might be in a head coaching role sooner rather than later.