The minute teams start to have even the smallest bit of success, the rumors begin to surface for coordinators leaving to take on head coaching roles elsewhere.
We saw it here in New England time and time again while Bill Belichick was head coach, with then two-time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels being a part of those rumors in a real way three different times.
Two of those three times led to the OC leaving for what he thought were greener pastures in Denver (2009-10) and Las Vegas (2022-23). And in both instances, McDaniels ended up being fired in the middle of his second season. The other time was a job offer in Indianapolis, where McDaniels changed his mind at the 11th hour to remain on Belichick’s staff, ultimately leading to his sixth ring as a member of the organization in 2018.
Now a three-time offensive coordinator with the Patriots (3-2), McDaniels is yet again having success with a new man under center, as second-year quarterback Drake Maye is being discussed by fans and media alike as a potential top 10 QB in the league through five weeks.
If McDaniels can help the Patriots get back to the postseason for the first time since 2021 while also turning Maye into a legit star quarterback who takes care of the football, the calls for the 49-year-old to interview for yet another head coaching gig will start up again.
Yes, both AFC West stops for McDaniels ended in spectacularly bad fashion. But the NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately type of league. If the right organization has the right talent at QB in place that they feel McDaniels can groom into a star of their own, the interview requests will occur sooner rather than later.
So on Thursday ahead of New England’s practice in preparation for the Saints (1-4) in Week 6, the 49-year-old was asked during his weekly press conference if he’d be willing to take a swing at HC job No. 3, or if he’d be content spending the rest of his career as Maye’s offensive coordinator with the Patriots.
“I love living in New England,” said McDaniels after doing a dad-coded head explosion gesture with a wide smile. That’s the short of it.
“I just try to focus on now. I’m really enjoying coaching for Mike [Vrabel], and the staff and the guys we have here in the organization. That would be surprising if I moved my kids out of Westwood. So come hell or high water, I don’t know if I’ll be here or not, but that is what it is.”
McDaniels will look to keep the good times rolling with Maye on the road in Week 6, as their game with the Saints gets underway at Superdome in New Orleans.
As of publishing, the Patriots are 3.5-point road favorites at FanDuel. You can get them on the moneyline at -196, and the total sits at 45.5.
Tune in each and every Monday throughout the football season to Patriots Monday on WEEI. Head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show at 6:30 a.m. ET, and quarterback Drake Maye joins WEEI Afternoons.