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The New England Patriots continued their coaching staff transformation and reunited with longtime friend of the program Josh McDaniels on Tuesday.
McDaniels agreed to make his third return to Foxborough following 18 previous seasons spent with the organization. The 48-year-old took a one-year intermission from coaching, fresh off his nearly two-year-long run as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. McDaniels underwent an ugly breakup with the AFC West team and capitalized on the perfect timing to join first-year head coach Mike Vrabel.
New England’s decision to bring McDaniels back didn’t only receive an approval stamp from wideout Kendrick Bourne, but also from a team insider.
“I don’t think there are many better in this league at developing quarterbacks,” Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard said on CLNS Media’s Patriots podcast. “So I think it’s a great day for the Patriots. I think it sets up the franchise for long-term success and to me, I think Vrabel learned from his first go-around and said, ‘You know, I tried to do it this way but it ended up costing me.’ Maybe McDaniels doesn’t have the ceiling of some other guys but his floor’s really high and I get the years.”
McDaniels has the familiarity advantage over other candidates. He was around for each of the franchise’s six successful trips to the Super Bowl under Bill Belichick’s reign. He coached ex-quarterback Mac Jones to a Pro Bowl nomination and was on board for the last Patriots playoff appearance in 2021, which was also Bourne’s career-best season — he notched career-highs in receptions (55), receiving yards (800) and touchdowns (five).
Now under Vrabel, McDaniels will re-assume offensive coordinator duties on New England’s sidelines. Bedard envisions this benefitting second-year quarterback Drake Maye next season above everyone else on the roster.
“Could you imagine they bring in (Grant) Udinski, he lights the world on fire, and like (Matt) LaFleur he’s gone after a year,” Bedard continued. “That would be three coordinators in three years for Drake Maye and that’s just not setting him up for success.”
The Patriots learned their lesson first-hand in providing a young quarterback with instability in the coaching staff.
Jones, the team’s 15th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, worked with three different offensive coordinators throughout his three-year run with the Patriots. That factored into the Alabama product’s downfall from a rookie Pro Bowler to a reason to hit the reset button amid an ongoing rebuild at Gillette Stadium.
Vrabel and McDaniels are tasked with ensuring that Maye won’t experience that same nightmare in 2025 and beyond.
