Could Josh McDaniels return to Patriots?

In the latter case, a familiar face could join Belichick on the sidelines. Josh McDaniels is “a candidate to return” to New England in the event Belichick stays with the team, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports. The latter met with owner Robert Kraft on Monday, but no firm decision has been made at this point. The process through which a direction is determined could take weeks, so it comes as no surprise that nothing concrete has emerged on the second day of the offseason.

McDaniels’ coaching career includes a pair of ill-fated head coaching gigs (with the Broncos and Raiders), but he is, of course, best known for his time as the Patriots offensive coordinator. Serving in that role from 2006-08, then again from 2012-21, he enjoyed considerable success with Tom Brady and the team’s offense. It is that unit that has struggled considerably over the past two years in particular, during which time the Patriots have taken very different approaches on the sidelines.

Belichick handed offensive play-calling duties to Matt Patricia in 2022, a move which raised eyebrows given his background on the defensive side of the ball. Joe Judge – whose Patriots tenure mainly comprised of special teams work – also had a large hand in the offense, a unit that delivered underwhelming results. The decision to bring in Bill O’Brien as OC for this season was seen as a sound one, but quarterback Mac Jones did not rebound as hoped, leaving his future unclear after three seasons.

The Patriots electing to start over on the sidelines would come as little surprise if Belichick were indeed to depart in the near future. He could still convince Kraft that a switch in organizational structure – perhaps one in which the 71-year-old ceded his duties as de facto general manager – could yield a rebound from this year’s 4-13 season, however. Such a proposal could lead to Belichick finishing out his current Patriots contract, which runs through 2024.

McDaniels’ Raiders tenure (during which he and ex-GM Dave Zeigler adopted a Patriot Way-inspired approach) resulted in a 9-16 record and a midseason firing in his second year at the helm. The turbulent nature of his Vegas stint likely dealt a major blow to his future head coaching opportunities, but another OC appointment could be in the cards with New England. As Howe notes, McDaniels remains close with both Belichick and Kraft, and a reunion could present the chance for at least one more campaign together. Pending developments on the Belichick front, McDaniels’ status will be something to monitor.