Josh McDaniels is back in New England.
The Patriots recently announced the hiring of McDaniels to be the team’s new offensive coordinator, marking the Ohio native’s third stint with the organization.
McDaniels will look to continue quarterback Drake Maye‘s development, who was impressed during his rookie campaign.
“I’m fortunate to be able to have a guy come in who has done it at a high level,” Maye said via Masslive. and learn from him coaching one of the best ever — the best ever, in my opinion, Tom [Brady].”
Josh McDaniels has had nothing but success calling plays at Gillette Stadium. The coordinator has been involved in all six of New England’s Super Bowl championships.
In an era where offensive football remains dominant, successful offensive coordinators often get head coaching offers at the end of the season. This year, former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the coveted prize of the head coaching cycle and ended up with the Chicago Bears.
McDaniels is no stranger to this process. The six-time Super Bowl champion left New England twice. In 2009, he became the head coach of the Denver Broncos but was ultimately fired after the 2010 season. He remained in New England until 2021 when he was hired to coach the Las Vegas Raiders.
Both tenures ended poorly. After his stint in Las Vegas, it became clear that although McDaniels is a brilliant offensive mind, he is not head coach material.
That is why McDaniels’ return to Foxborough is perfect for Maye’s development. The Patriots can likely keep the 48-year-old coordinator for as long as the team wants.
A lack of continuity at the coordinator position is a key reason why some rookie quarterbacks fail to make their mark in the NFL.
Take former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, for example. The 15th pick in the 2021 NFL draft shined in his first season in Foxborough, with McDaniels calling the plays. Jones threw for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
However, following McDaniels’ departure to Las Vegas at the end of the 2021 season, Jones would see a new play-caller annually. In 2022, Matt Patricia called the shots, and after the Patricia experiment failed, Bill O’Brien took over the reins in 2023. Jones could not replicate his success under McDaniels and was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars following the 2023 season.
So, the Patriots have an offensive coordinator who’s seen nothing but success in New England, and they don’t need to worry about him departing for another team, which is an advantage that most teams don’t possess.
Will Josh McDaniels be able to fully unlock Maye’s potential? From an outside perspective looking in, the Patriots seem to be setting up the 22-year-old quarterback to have success for years to come.
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