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Reuniting with Josh McDaniels apparently wasn’t an idea Mike Vrabel started kicking around once he became Patriots head coach.
Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard on Monday provided an in-depth breakdown of McDaniels’ return to New England, where the former Las Vegas Raiders head coach is back for his third run as Patriots offensive coordinator. According to Bedard, working together was something Vrabel and McDaniels discussed while they were both briefly out of the NFL.
“It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where McDaniels fell on Vrabel’s list of prospective offensive coordinators but there’s no doubt that McDaniels was high on his list as the two talked multiple times last season about the possibility of working together,” Bedard wrote. “But with so much in the air — neither probably thought New England was going to come open this hiring cycle — it would be impossible for either to be definitely linked for every opening given McDaniels’ family priorities.”
McDaniels checked so many boxes for Vrabel and the Patriots. The 48-year-old has a wealth of institutional knowledge in New England — an asset highly valued by team brass — and has an outstanding track record working with quarterbacks. McDaniels also has six Super Bowl rings to confirm he knows what it takes to build a winning environment.
We might never know if McDaniels truly was Vrabel’s clear-cut No. 1 preference for the offensive coordinator role. But given McDaniels’ track record in the role, it doesn’t seem like New England’s new head coach will come to regret his decision.
