Falcons HC hire could help shape Patriots' OC search

New England Patriots HC Jerod Mayo Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons HC hire could help shape Patriots' search for offensive coordinator

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 1/25/24

Thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, first-year New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo’s decision regarding who to hire as his offensive coordinator may have gotten a little easier on Thursday.

According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, had the Falcons hired former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels would have likely followed him to Atlanta. But now that the Falcons have settled on Raheem Morris, McDaniels – who served as the Patriots OC from 2006-08 and 2012-21 – remains in play for Mayo.

“If Belichick doesn’t get the Falcons job, McDaniels probably jumps to the top of the list for the Patriots,” Howe said during an appearance on the “Pats Interference” podcast.

Would assume Raheem Morris will take Zac Robinson with him to Atlanta. Bad news for the #Patriots. Could be Josh McDaniels back to New England as OC.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) January 25, 2024

While it’s not an absolute certainty that McDaniels returns to the Patriots, the odds seem more likely than not that that could be the case given his knowledge and experience coaching in the Patriots system, which isn’t expected to drastically change under Mayo.

McDaniels also appears to have a leg up over outside offensive coordinator candidates who aren’t as familiar with New England’s roster or how things are run in-house.

After two failed head-coaching attempts with the Denver Broncos (2009-10) and Las Vegas Raiders (2022-23), it’s unlikely McDaniels gets a third shot at a lead NFL job. Howe did suggest an alternative solution if McDaniels is adamant on being an HC again, though.

“If Belichick doesn’t get a job this cycle and McDaniels doesn’t go back to the Patriots – maybe he takes a year off – maybe a year from now a college opportunity opens up,” Howe said. “Maybe that’s something that piques his interest.”

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