A pair of top NFL insiders believe that the New England Patriots would seriously consider former members of the staff to replace Bill Belichick and two-time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could be on their potential candidate list.
Week 18 could be the end of a legendary era for the Patriots. After 24 seasons of dominance and six Super Bowl titles, Bill Belichick might be given his walking papers by the organization. The team has not been the same since Tom Brady departed in 2020 and this season has been their worst year since the 71-year-old took over the head coaching duties in 2000.
While there has been a huge amount of speculation about where Belichick could take his talents — since he is not expected to retire if his run in New England ends — the conversation about who will replace him has been just as intriguing. The Patriots have become one of the most prestigious teams in the sport, but replacing an NFL icon is a tall task.
Could New England Patriots bring Josh McDaniels back to be the next head coach?
It’s something NFL Media league insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero wrote about recently and they suggested a possible head coach candidate for New England that may shock many around the NFL.
“If Belichick does move on, speculation has centered on [Jerod] Mayo as his successor.” the NFL Media insiders wrote. “That’s not a guarantee, though, and other options — particular coaches with Patriots ties, such as Josh McDaniels or Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores — shouldn’t be ruled out.”
McDaniels has deep ties to the New England Patriots after serving as the offensive coordinator for 13 years in two different stints. He had a great deal of success under Belichick and it helped him to land head coach jobs in Denver and Las Vegas. However, he failed miserably as a team leader and was fired by the Raiders midway through this season.
He has a sad 20-33 record in four seasons as the head coach of the Broncos and Raiders. He was also mentioned as a potential Bill Belichick replacement during his second stint with the franchise.
