Patriots, Mike Vrabel Hiring Josh McDaniels as Offensive Coordinator

The 48-year-old is now onto his third stint as the play caller in New England.

This will be McDaniels' third stint in Foxborough. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Quarterback Drake Maye has his next play caller.

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the New England Patriots are set to hire Josh McDaniels as their next offensive coordinator. The 48-year-old—who interviewed with the franchise on Tuesday in Foxborough—has widely been considered the favorite since New England announced Mike Vrabel as their head coach last Sunday.

The Patriots are hiring Josh McDaniels to be their offensive coordinator, per source.

A familiar face in New England, McDaniels is back for his third stint with the organization. pic.twitter.com/JyXgqbSCaj

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 21, 2025

Under former OC Alex Van Pelt's watch in 2024, the Patriots' offense gained just 291.9 yards per game (31st in the NFL) and scored just 17 points per game (30th).

McDaniels will now enter his third stint as the Patriots offensive coordinator, having served in the role from 2006 to '08 and again from '12 to '21. He most recently served as the Las Vegas Raiders' head coach, before being fired midway through the 2023 season.

While McDaniels is known for his work with NFL legend Tom Brady, he's also worked wonders with some other quarterbacks during his days in Foxborough, winning games with the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett, an older Cam Newton and Mac Jones.

In 2021—Jones's rookie season—McDaniels helped the young signal caller throw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns. The team went 10–7, earned a playoff berth, and their offense ranked sixth in points per game with 27.2. All positives for those curious about the development of Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye.

Another positive? Staying power. After two failed stints as a head coach with both the Raiders and the Denver Broncos, McDaniels is essentially radioactive in the NFL world to anyone but New England—meaning he'll likely remain as Maye's OC for the long term if things go well.

New England also interviewed former Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown, Los Angeles Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady and Vikings assistant OC/assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski for the role.

---