“All-In” — McDaniels Appears Likely to Leave Patriots for Raiders Head Coaching Position

A key figure in the New England Patriots championship years appears to be on the verge of making a career-altering decision.

Not so fast…not THAT one…at least, not yet.

Although official confirmation has yet to be issued, Pats’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seems likely to be leaving Foxboro to become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, per a report by Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson.

McDaniels is currently in Las Vegas, meeting with team ownership, regarding the position. After reporting on Friday that the two sides were “all-in” on McDaniels taking the vacant job, Wilson followed-up with a positive progress report on Saturday.

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, after having dinner with Raiders on Friday night in Las Vegas, meeting with team officials for entire day for his interview with everything proceeding very well so far, per league sources. @PFN365
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 29, 2022

Per sources which spoke with Patriot Maven on Saturday, McDaniels’ acceptance of the Raiders’ head coaching position would be contingent on New England’s current Director of Player Personnel Dave Ziegler agreeing to become Las Vegas’ next general manager. There is also a veritable understanding that the 45-year-old Pats’ assistant coach would not have accepted Las Vegas’ request if he were not seriously interested in taking the job. Conversely, the Raiders would not have requested an interview with McDaniels unless they were supremely confident in his intentions regarding the opportunity.

Wilson’s report on Saturday indicated that McDaniels, Ziegler, Raiders owner Mark Davis, and team president Dan Ventrelle are all on the same page, with matters “proceeding very well.”

McDaniels began his tenure with New England in 2001 as a personnel assistant. Four years after his promotion to offensive coordinator in 2005, he spent nearly two seasons as the Denver Broncos’ head coach between 2009 and 2010. He returned to New England in 2011 and has held the offensive coordinator position since that time.

McDaniels had initially accepted an offer to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. However, he made an eleventh-hour decision to remain with the Patriots, as offensive coordinator. He has interviewed for one head-coaching position in each of the last three hiring cycles, meeting with the Green Bay Packers in 2019, the Cleveland Browns in 2020 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. McDaniels prowess in developing rookie quarterback Mac Jones, helped him make the transition from the college level to the NFL in 2021. The Patriots finished the 2021 campaign with a 10-7 record, earning a berth in the playoffs as a wild card entry in his 18th season with New England.

Should McDaniels’ depart New England for Las Vegas, it would create a sizable void on the Patriots’ offensive coaching staff. While a complete list of qualified candidates is still being compiled, some internal and external options would be considered.

Though the decision to leave the franchise with which he has won six Super Bowl Championships (three as offensive coordinator) will be difficult, McDaniels would be heading to a team that is seemingly ready to contend in both their division and the conference. The Raiders were a playoff team in 2021 as well, showing promise on both sides of the ball. Having acted as play caller for six top-10 scoring offenses during his time in New England, McDaniels may be eager to work with Las Vegas’ offensive stars such as quarterback Derek Carr, running back Josh Jacobs, tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Hunter Renfrow.

While the stigma of his Indianapolis indecision continues to shadow him, McDaniels and the Raiders seem to be a logical match; with a union being a forgone conclusion. As a result, the Pats may soon find themselves in need of filling two significant vacancies within the organization.