New England Patriots

NFL Rumors: Josh McDaniels to Pursue Head Coaching in 2017

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels reportedly will pursue head coaching jobs in 2017

The New England Patriots have done an enviable job of overcoming quarterback absences. First, Jimmy Garoppolo shined with Tom Brady suspended, and then rookie Jacoby Brissett did a solid job in the team’s Thursday Night Football victory over the Houston Texans with Garoppolo injured. Bill Belichick gets most of the credit for creating the New England Patriots “system”, but smart football observers have been quick to praise offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

In his second stint as the Patriots OC, McDaniels has been money, helping the team battle past severe injuries year after year, whether they are to Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, or pretty much every capable offensive lineman on the roster.

McDaniels has been a star offensive coordinator for quite some time, but it’s been hard for him to live past his failures in his first shot as a head coach. When he commandeered the Denver Broncos, McDaniels made the ill-advised decision to make Tim Tebow a first-round pick, and that erased the other good draft decisions he made. Remember, McDaniels was responsible for drafting Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Robert Ayers.

Now that the Patriots are 3-0 with Garoppolo and Brissett at quarterback, McDaniels looks poised to take advantage. CBS Sports’s Jason La Canfora reports that McDaniels realizes how high his value has risen, and he is ready to try to become a head coach again.

Everyone loves to hire former Patriots coordinators, and the success of Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien will be seen as an example of their potential. McDaniels helped the Patriots completely outduel the Texans from a coaching perspective in their 27-0 win, and it was remarkable to see the types of plays, including options, they conjured on a short week with an entirely different type of quarterback at the helm.

McDaniels has been courted by teams in the past, but he’s declined their overtures. Some wondered if the Patriots were holding onto him as Belichick’s eventual replacement, but based on La Canfora’s report, he may be more interested in starting a head coaching legacy of his own right now—and in a different location.