All of the recent Patriots weirdness seems to stem from one burning question. How much longer will Bill Belichick and Tom Brady stay together?
Josh McDaniels' reasoning for his last-second return likely contains the answer. It remains the unresolved puzzle piece that intertwines with nearly all of the Patriots' mysteries –– from Belichick's relationship with Brady to how much longer the quarterback wants to play.
McDaniels addressed his return for the first time Monday at the NFL annual meetings. He said he was planning to coach the Colts, until Robert Kraft and Belichick sat him down for an emergency summit.
"I wasn't 100 percent sure what the future was. I just hadn't had any clarity on that,'' McDaniels told reporters. "So, where did I fit in? Were there any plans? I just didn't have much clarity on what my role was here moving forward.
"Once I heard from Robert and Bill on that Tuesday, it just gave me reason to pause and consider this whole situation."
The contents of the sit-down are unclear, besides Belichick's reported promise to "open up his world" to his longtime offensive coordinator. But it's safe to say Belichick's future was probably addressed.
McDaniels was eviscerated for his decision to spurn the Colts. On a personal level, he left many assistant coaches hanging, and they're now going to work in a new city for a coach who didn't hire them. McDaniels' betrayal was so loathsome, even his agent dropped him, and declared his former client had committed "professional suicide."
Conventional wisdom says McDaniels would be willing to take the public shellacking, and turn down millions of dollars, if he knows he will coach Brady sooner rather than later. It's apparent the Patriots' quarterback has problems with Belichick. Kraft acknowledged Monday he brokered a meeting between them, tacitly confirming the reported tension at Patriot Place.
McDaniels' comments indicate his decision to come back was not centered around Andrew Luck's health. Everything he said Monday was about his opportunity to stay with the Patriots and clarity about his role going forward. McDaniels also revealed his family was prepared to move to Indianapolis, checking that noble reason off the list for his sudden change of heart.
It's apparent McDaniels enjoys a close relationship with Brady. He's the only Patriots coach who's featured in "Tom vs. Time," with cameras capturing Brady sending him a voice memo about a play in a preseason game. Shortly thereafter, McDaniels calls Brady back, and tells him he saw the same thing.
Brady did blow up on McDaniels on the sideline in Week 13, but apologized profusely for the incident in a press conference six days later. "I've been feeling bad all week and haven't had a chance to say it, and he knows how much I love him," Brady told reporters.
On the contrary, it seems like Brady and Belichick's relationship is frayed. Belichick significantly curtailed Alex Guerrero's sideline access this season, and according to ESPN's Seth Wickersham –– whose exposes look more correct with each passing day –– Brady is tiring of Belichick's negativity. Gisele Bundchen appeared to hint at Brady's dissatisfaction at the end of "Tom vs. Time," saying her husband wants to feel "appreciated" at work.
Despite those signs, there are no concrete hints Belichick is planning on walking away anytime soon. He's spent the last couple of weeks on a Pro Day super tour and carried out his typically cold-blooded free agency approach. Belichick is not acting like somebody who only has a short time left.
Strangely, McDaniels has not been seen in the public eye at all this offseason. He didn't attend the NFL Combine and wasn't spotted at any Pro Days, either. This is not how an heir apparent typically acts.
Maybe McDaniels is content waiting it out with Belichick and Brady. But his explanation makes it sound like guarantees were made. It doesn't sound like it will be the status-quo going forward.
What that means solves the most pressing question the Patriots currently face.
