The return of Josh McDaniels has garnered a lot of attention in New England and across the league this offseason, primarily due to it being his third stint with the Patriots and it's coming on the heels of his latest failed head coaching gig with the Raiders. Despite that, however, there is a lot of optimism about what he will make of the team's offense, especially with a solidified quarterback, and a wildly improved roster from not just last season, but from the previous year he was with the team in 2021.
One of the more interesting aspects of his return is how player he once coached will fare now that he's back in town. Among those more notable names, besides receiver Kendrick Bourne who recorded the best season of his career in 2021, is running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
He was a rookie during McDaniels' last season as the offensive coordinator and had an up-and-down year that saw him put in the doghouse by Bill Belichick for fumbling the football. That still led to him recording 133 carries for 606 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 14 receptions for 123 yards in 12 games.
While that is an admirable season for a rookie in a new system, it's nothing compared to what he's done in the years since, which may mean trouble is to come with McDaniels' return.
Josh McDaniels being back as the Patriots OC might not be great for everyone on the offense
Several players have expressed their excitement about McDaniels being back on the Patriots' staff, and for the most part, especially those who were on the team last year or even longer, it's understandable, given his pedigree as an offensive coordinator.
However, a player like Stevenson, who spoke about being comfortable with McDaniels' offense after training camp on Thursday, might not mean better play is going to come from his return.
Rhamondre Stevenson says he happy to have Josh McDaniels back as #Patriots OC:
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) July 24, 2025
“I love Josh … I’m very comfortable
with him. He’s knows my strengths.” pic.twitter.com/D8AszYIKSK
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At the end of the 2022 season, the first year without McDaniels calling the offense, Stevenson recorded 210 carries for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged five yards per carry and added 69 receptions for 421 yards and a score in 17 games.
That's a drastic upgrade from the year before, even if he played five more games in his second season. He averaged 50 yards per game, which still would've put him nearly 200 yards below what he recorded during his sophomore campaign.
If the 2021 season was any indication of what's to come from McDaniels calling plays again, there might be some valid concerns about how Stevenson will fare. While he's far more established and expected to be the RB1, he will have a rookie in TreVeyon Henderson on his heels and likely competing for more snaps.
If he has any fumbling issue again, just like he did in 2024, it wouldn't be shocking to see McDaniels favor the rookie over Stevenson. That would be a massive hit to his standing on the team, despite being given an extension last offseason.