On Wednesday evening, the New England Patriots announced Josh McDaniels as their new offensive coordinator. Barstool Sports’ Kirk Minihane first reported the move.
A source later confirmed to The Patriots Beat that Josh McDaniels was interviewed for the job in the building.
McDaniels, 48, is one of six people who were present for all six Super Bowl victories. His time in New England overlapped with head coach Mike Vrabel.
McDaniels’ coaching career started as a Michigan State graduate assistant in 1991. After spending just one season with the Spartans, he joined the Patriots as a personnel assistant, rising through the ranks to become their offensive coordinator in 2006. He later left for the Broncos head coaching job in 2009, signing a four-year, $8 million contract. The 2009 season started with six straight wins but ended 8-8. The following season, McDaniels struggled with the Broncos as the team went 3-9 to start the season, and on December 5, the head coach was fired.
The play-caller went to St. Louis and was the offensive coordinator for the Rams, but after just one season, he returned to New England. He later got another head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. However, like the Broncos, McDaniels was fired after two seasons.
After being let go twice as a head coach, it’s unlikely that McDaniels will ever get that opportunity again, which could create a long-term pairing between him and Drake Maye.
After leading Mac Jones through a successful Pro Bowl campaign, McDaniels looks to do the same with the No. 3 overall selection, Drake Maye.
The North Carolina alum started 12 games, completing 66.6% of his passes for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, and rushing for 421 yards. McDaniels has called plays for the Patriots’ offense for 13 years, and his flexibility and ability to be versatile stand out on film.
He helped Cam Newton through a successful 2020 season, designing complex quarterback runs and scheming the offense to tailor a less-talented roster.
Scheme-wise, McDaniels loves to pair play-action with a complementary downhill gap-scheme run game. During his first season in Vegas, the Raiders ran the second-highest under-center rate in the NFL, via Patriots.com.
For now, however, it’s time for McDaniels to help lead the search with Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf as they look to fill out the offensive coaching staff.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
