Josh McDaniels will return to New England for his third trip as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, multiple reports said Tuesday.
McDaniels, 48, will be new head coach Mike Vrabel’s first staff member in Foxborough, Mass., and will take over at quarterback for an offense led by rising sophomore Drake Maye.
McDaniels served in various roles on the Patriots’ staff from 2001-08 and 2012-21, and was first promoted to the offensive coordinator position in 2006. He was instrumental in all six Super Bowl wins under Bill Belichick.
He is also known for his two failed attempts as a head coach. He was fired 12 games into his second season with the Denver Broncos in 2010, and history repeated itself eight games into his second season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023.
Although McDaniels did not coach anywhere in 2024, Sports Illustrated said McDaniels spent the year “evolving” the offense after spending time with various NFL and college teams. Reported.
In his most recent season as New England’s offensive coordinator in 2021, the Patriots ranked 6th in the NFL in scoring and 15th in yards per game. It was Mac Jones’ rookie year when he was named a Pro Bowler. He regressed the following year without McDaniels and was eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Maye, 22, was selected third overall in the 2024 draft and played in 13 games (12 starts) as a rookie, throwing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
The Patriots went 4-13 and fired Jerod Mayo, who replaced Belichick as coach after one season.
–Field level media