HEADLINES

New England Patriots News & Rumors

Patriots Hire Josh McDaniels As OC

January 21st, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Josh McDaniels is indeed returning to New England. The 2025 season will mark his third stint as offensive coordinator of the Patriots, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The team has since announced the move.

McDaniels emerged as a candidate to watch in the aftermath of Mike Vrabel being hired as New England’s head coach. He has served as the team’s offensive coordinator for a combined total of 13 years across his first two stints. He interviewed for the role earlier today, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Schultz adds McDaniels has continued to live in Foxborough since his last New England gig came to an end. Prior to the news of his hire coming out, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported the 48-year-old was viewed as the favorite. Now, the six-time Super Bowl champ will again take charge of the team’s offense, although of course this time he will do so while working under Vrabel rather than Bill Belichick.

McDaniels’ first stint with the organization saw him quickly rise through the ranks. After starting as a personnel assistant in 2001, he made his way up to QBs coach in 2004 before taking over as OC in 2006. With Tom Brady leading the way, McDaniels oversaw an elite offense during his first three years as a coordinator, including a record-breaking unit in 2007.

McDaniels parlayed that performance into the head coaching job with the Broncos. An 11-17 record (along with a videotaping scandal) led to his ouster after only a year-plus, and he landed back in New England ahead of the 2012 season. That second stint lasted a decade, with McDaniels at the helm as the team transitioned from Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones. McDaniels got the most out of Jones during the QB’s rookie campaign, as the first-round pick tossed 22 touchdowns, went 10-7, and earned a Pro Bowl nod.

McDaniels then parlayed that performance into his second head coaching gig, this time with the Raiders. He had similar results in Las Vegas, as his squad went 9-16 before McDaniels was fired during the 2023 campaign. The coach has spent the past year-plus out of football, but Albert Breer of TheMMQB says the coach has been keeping busy. Per Breer, McDaniels used the past year to refine his own offensive approach. This meant studying offenses in both the NFL and college, and Breer believes McDaniels will be able to apply more “user-friendly” lessons to a “pretty complex offense.”

Even during his time off, the coach was continually connected to his long-time organization. There were rumblings he could join the staff in 2024 if Belichick stuck around; the team instead pivoted to Jerod Mayo, who brought in Alex Van Pelt to lead his offense. Of course, that coaching staff was cleared out following a dismal 2024 campaign, making way for Vrabel to take over operations (and for McDaniels to rejoin the familiar role).

McDaniels’ ugly head coaching stints have probably shut the door on any near-future opportunities, so Vrabel made have landed a long-term OC. Now, McDaniels will be tasked with guiding a offense that showed some offensive promise with rookie Drake Maye under center.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Terrell Williams Favorite For Patriots DC Job?

January 21st, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Mike Vrabel has already found his new offensive coordinator. Now, it sounds like the new Patriots head coach is zeroing in on his defensive coordinator. According to Matt Zenitz CBS Sports, the Patriots are targeting Lions DL coach Terrell Williams for their DC gig.

[RELATED: Patriots To Hire Josh McDaniels As OC]

Albert Breer of TheMMQB provides some more insight, noting that the Patriots requested and were granted permission to interview Williams. The Patriots have also spoken to the coach (although it sounds like conversation this was more informal than an official interview), and people within the Lions organization are expecting Williams to head east.

Williams was one of Vrabel’s most-trusted lieutenants during their time in Tennessee, where Williams served as assistant head coach in addition to his duties as defensive line coach. The duo worked alongside each other for their entire five-year stint with the Titans, and that relationship automatically made Williams a name-to-watch for the Patriots DC gig.

Over his five years as the Titans DL coach, the team allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards in the NFL. The coach was credited with the development of Denico Autry, who compiled at least eight sacks in three-straight seasons, and former first-round pick Jeffery Simmons, who earned a pair of All-Pro nods under Williams’ tutelage. After the Titans cleaned house last offseason, Williams joined the Lions as their run-game coordinator/defensive line coach.

While the fate of Jerod Mayo‘s staff was uncertain, it seemed pretty clear that Vrabel would look to bring in his own coaches. DeMarcus Covington was New England’s DC in 2024, with the Patriots ranking just outside the bottom-10 in points allowed and yards allowed.

Patriots Conduct OC Interview With Vikings’ Grant Udinski

January 21st, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots are among the teams in need of a new offensive and defensive coordinator. The list of candidates to interview for the former position has expanded.

New England met with Grant Udinski yesterday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports. That makes him the third candidate to interview for the OC vacancy. The Patriots are, of course not alone in showing interest in the Vikings’ assistant OC, though. Udinski is also among the finalists for Seattle’s offensive coordinator position.

The Patriots are starting over at a number of positions on their staff with Mike Vrabel in place as head coach. That is common practice in the NFL, but with a pair of coordinator spots to fill the team will look to move quickly. Udinski does not have a history with Vrabel, but he is held in high regard around the league and could take on his first career coordinator gig as early as this season as a result.

The 28-year-old worked as a graduate assistant in 2019 before following Matt Rhule from Temple to Carolina one year later. After two seasons with the Panthers, Udinski joined the Vikings’ staff under Kevin O’Connell. He took on the position of assistant quarterbacks coach last year, and had assistant OC added to his title for the 2024 campaign. After a season in which Sam Darnold exceeded expectations in Minnesota, Udinski’s stock has certainly risen in short order.

The Patriots have Drake Maye in place as their quarterback of the present and (at least short-term) future, but the rest of the offense faces plenty of questions. Upgrading along the O-line and adding at the receiver position will be key offseason priorities, something the team’s next OC will no doubt have a say in once a hire is made.

Via PFR’s OC/DC tracker, here is an updated look at the Patriots’ ongoing search:

Patriots Request DC Interview With Dolphins’ Ryan Crow

January 20th, 2025 at 9:36pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

As expected, new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is targeting some of his former assistants for top coaching positions in New England. The Patriots have submitted a request to interview Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for their defensive coordinator vacancy, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Crow began his NFL career under Vrabel in Tennessee in 2018, when he was first hired as a defensive assistant before earning promotions to assistant special teams coach (2020) and outside linebackers coach (2021-2023). Crow did not survive Vrabel’s firing after the 2023 season, but quickly landed a similar gig in Miami under new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver,

The Titans consistently fielded a solid run defense under Crow during his tenure. He was able to bring some of that success to the Dolphins, who ranked ninth in rushing yards and touchdowns allowed in 2024. Miami’s pass rush was less effective, ranking 27th with 35 sacks, though first-round pick Chop Robinson was responsible for six in a solid rookie season.

Crow would take over a Patriots defense that allowed the 11th-most points and yards in the NFL during the regular season. New England forced just 12 turnovers (tied for second-fewest) and surrendered at least 28 points on seven different occasions.

Crow’s first order of business will be evaluating and refurbishing a New England roster lacking elite talent on the defensive side of the football. 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez is a budding star at cornerback, but Christian Barmore, the defense’s highest-paid player, ended the season on the non-football injury list. The Patriots are entering the offseason with the most cap space in the NFL, per OverTheCap, but they will need to address their anemic offense as well. Vrabel and Crow will have their work cut out for them to return New England to the defensive standard established under Bill Belichick.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

January 19th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Two weekends of playoff football have come and gone, providing us with 10 more draft slots cemented into position as NFL teams continue to be eliminated from the playoffs. The top 18 picks were already divvied up at the conclusion of the regular season to the teams who failed to make the playoffs, while picks 19-28 have been determined over the past two weeks.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order has been determined by the inverted 2024 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. The playoff squads are being slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular-season record.

The league’s Super Wild Card weekend resulted in the elimination of Chargers, Steelers, Broncos, Packers, Buccaneers, and Vikings after their respective losses. Tampa Bay benefitted from the three-way tie in record with Denver and Pittsburgh, just as the Chargers did over the Packers.

The divisional round of the playoffs resulted in the elimination of the Texans, Rams, Ravens, and Lions. This time, Houston held the tiebreaker over Los Angeles, gifting it higher draft priority.

We are still at a place that, for the first time since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002, there is a chance that every team drafts in the first round, as no first-round picks have yet been traded. It’s extremely unlikely that this will remain the case, as draft-day trades are a very common occurrence, but it’s still an interesting concept to note this close to the draft.

Here is how the draft order looks following two weeks of playoff football:

  1. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  2. Cleveland Browns (3-14)
  3. New York Giants (3-14)
  4. New England Patriots (4-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13)
  7. New York Jets (5-12)
  8. Carolina Panthers (5-12)
  9. New Orleans Saints (5-12)
  10. Chicago Bears (5-12)
  11. San Francisco (6-11)
  12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10)
  13. Miami Dolphins (8-9)
  14. Indianapolis Colts (8-9)
  15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9)
  17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (10-7)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (10-7)
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
  23. Green Bay Packers (11-6)
  24. Minnesota Vikings (14-3)
  25. Houston Texans (10-7)
  26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
  28. Detroit Lions (15-2)
  29. Washington Commanders (12-5)
  30. Buffalo Bills (13-4)
  31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

NFL Staff Rumors: Allen, Sanders, Williams, Panthers, Saints

January 19th, 2025 at 8:21pm CST by Ely Allen

Former Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich was hired to rejoin his old coworker, Raheem Morris, in Atlanta as defensive coordinator. This threw a wrench in some other plans in coaching searches around the league. Specifically, two teams that viewed him as a defensive coordinator candidate will have to look elsewhere to fill the position.

After Ulbrich filled in for a fired Robert Saleh in New York, he was likewise being viewed as a backup candidate for defensive coordinator behind Saleh in San Francisco. The 49ers are hoping to hire Saleh back to his old job as their defensive play-caller. Saleh is still interviewing for some open head coaching positions, though, and in case he becomes unavailable, Ulbrich was seemingly the second option.

The second team watching Ulbrich was whatever team ends up hiring former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Johnson had Ulbrich tabbed as the potential defensive coordinator on his first staff as an NFL head coach. Rapoport claims former Saints head coach Dennis Allen is the new name to look out for to join Johnson’s first staff.

Here are a few other rumors in staff conversations around the NFL:

  • As more and more hurdles continue to present themselves in the Cowboys‘ pursuit of Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, it’s beginning to seem like him becoming their next head coach is an unlikely scenario. According to another Rapoport report, the NFL Network reporter claimed he “would be surprised — probably very surprised — if (a formal interview) did, in fact, get scheduled.”
  • New Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel hasn’t spoken much of how much of the existing staff in New England will be salvaged, but the understanding seems to be that, like in most new head coaching situations, Vrabel will likely be replacing both coordinators. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, one name to watch for defensive coordinator is Lions defensive line coach and run-game coordinator Terrell Williams. Williams was one of Vrabel’s most-trusted assistants during his time as head coach in Tennessee, where Williams served as assistant head coach in addition to his duties as defensive line coach. Especially with the likely turnover expected on the defensive staff in Detroit, it makes perfect sense that Williams would explore the opportunity to take his first coordinator position.
  • The Panthers are reportedly moving on from passing game coordinator Nate Carroll, son of former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Joe Person of The Athletic confirmed the report, adding that the team does not expect Carroll back in any capacity.
  • Switching for moment from coaching staffs to the front office, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis addressed the consistency of staff in the team’s personnel department. Amidst questions concerning job security, Loomis claimed that “he loves (vice president/assistant general manager — college personnel) Jeff Ireland and (director of pro personnel) Michael Parenton in their” current roles, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. While he does expect changes and tweaks in their processes and procedures, Irelend and Parenton’s jobs appear secure.

Patriots Notes: Glaser, Coaching Changes, Bowen

January 18th, 2025 at 12:46pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Patriots kick off a new era under Mike Vrabel, they’ll do so without a long-time executive. Robyn Glaser, New England’s executive vice president of football business, informed the organization that she is resigning, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Glaser plans to work for the organization through mid-February.

[RELATED: Mike Vrabel To Control Patriots’ Roster?]

Glaser has spent nearly two decades in New England, starting as a senior adviser to ownership in 2007. She gradually climbed the organizational ladder before earning the role of “senior vice president, business affairs and chief administrative officer of football” in 2022. As Reiss explains, Glaser was tasked with “all league business and legal relations, including league compliance.” Glaser took on even more responsibility (and media scrutiny) in 2024 when she was named a senior adviser to Jerod Mayo.

While this departure will open a significant hole in New England’s front office, Vrabel is actively clearing his coaching staff as he prepares for new hires. Reiss passes along a number of staff members who won’t be back with the Patriots in 2025: Bob Bicknell (tight ends), Taylor Embree (running backs), Tyler Hughes (wide receivers), Keith Jones (defensive coaching assistant), Joe Kim (director of skill development), and Tiquan Underwood (assistant wide receivers).

Per Reiss, Vrabel has started the process of interviewing potential candidates for his staff. We’ve already heard that the organization is eyeing Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady and interim Bears HC Thomas Brown for their OC job, and the team is also considering old friend Josh McDaniels. While the Patriots have only been connected to OC interviews, it sounds like they’re also considering options on defense. Connor Hughes of SNY.tv believes Vrabel is looking to bring Shane Bowen to New England.

Vrabel and Bowen worked alongside each other during their stops in Houston, and Vrabel brought Bowen along to Tennessee. The assistant eventually worked his way up to the defensive coordinator job during the duo’s final three seasons with the organization. After the Titans cleaned house last offseason, Bowen was hired as the Giants new defensive coordinator.

Patriots Request OC Interview With Chargers’ Marcus Brady

January 17th, 2025 at 9:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots have already gotten off to a fast start in the offseason as the first team to hire a new head coach. With Mike Vrabel now in place, they can get a head start on building the staff beneath him. With a defensive-minded head coach in Vrabel, New England has begun by searching for a new offensive coordinator. Their most recent interview target, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, is Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady.

Per Fowler, New England requested to interview Brady today, making him the fourth candidate to be linked to the position. Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, who served as interim offensive coordinator and interim head coach after the team fired both coaches at different points of the season this year, is the only interviewee so far, meeting with the team earlier this week. Former Raiders head coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has also been confirmed as a candidate, but no interview has been scheduled as of yet.

Brady, a former undrafted quarterback who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League, first got his coaching start in the CFL the season following his retirement from playing. His first coaching job came on the team he retired with, the Montreal Alouettes, as a wide receivers coach in 2009. By 2012, the team promoted him to offensive coordinator for a season before he was hired by the Toronto Argonauts for the same position. He called plays in Toronto for five years, with the Argonauts winning the Grey Cup in 2017.

In 2018, Brady finally got his chance in the NFL, getting hired as assistant quarterbacks coach for the Colts. A year later, he was the full quarterbacks coach, a role he held for two seasons before quickly rising to his first coordinator job in the NFL for Indianapolis. That role came under Frank Reich, though, who called his own plays, so though the Colts offense ranked ninth in scoring in his first year as offensive coordinator, it was not a result of his play-calling. When the team’s offense struggled mightily in his second season as OC, Reich fired Brady before getting fired himself shortly after.

Brady rebounded in Philadelphia, rejoining Nick Sirianni, who he replaced as OC in Indianapolis. He spent his first partial season with the Eagles as an offensive consultant before getting promoted to senior offensive assistant in 2023. In 2024, he joined Jim Harbaugh‘s new staff in Los Angeles in his current role. While the Chargers’ passing attack ranked only 19th in the NFL this year, largely due to Greg Roman‘s run-heavy offensive philosophy, they led the NFL with the fewest interceptions (3) and the lowest interception percentage (0.6). Justin Herbert‘s high-octane production was curtailed a bit in the new system, but reining in his turnover issues after he threw 35 interceptions in his first three seasons was an impressive feat.

Since being fired from his first NFL OC job, Brady has been active on the interview circuit. Before taking his promotion in Philadelphia, Brady interviewed for open coordinator jobs with the Rams and Jets in 2023. Brady also had interview requests for the OC opportunities with the Panthers and Bears before taking the job as passing game coordinator in Los Angeles.

After only a year in that role, Brady’s pursuit of a second chance as an offensive coordinator and an opportunity to call plays for the first time in the NFL could continue with this request from New England. Here’s how the Patriots’ OC search is shaping up so far:

Patriots Interview Thomas Brown For OC Job

January 17th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Technically still in the running for the Bears’ head coaching job, Thomas Brown has begun to explore his options. After meeting with the Seahawks about their position, the interim Chicago HC is on the Patriots’ radar.

As Mike Vrabel looks to replace Alex Van Pelt on his first New England staff, he met with Brown about the OC job, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The meeting occurred Tuesday, before it became known the Seahawks had others in mind — Klint Kubiak, Grant Udinski — for second interviews about their OC vacancy.

[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]

Vrabel joined Brown in meeting about the Bears’ HC job, and the two one-time Chicago candidates spent time discussing recent Bears offensive work. It looks like Brown will be set to join a fourth team in four years. While the Patriots are set to conduct a wide-ranging search (per Vrabel, at least) that will include Josh McDaniels, Brown looks likely to leave Chicago.

Brown spent the 2022 season with the Rams, was both a play-calling and non-play-calling OC with the Panthers in 2023 and held three Bears positions last year. Initially hiring Shane Waldron as their OC, the Bears circled back to Brown as pass-game coordinator. Brown took the Chicago play-calling reins after the team fired Waldron months into his tenure and then replaced Matt Eberflus soon after. While Brown’s HC tenure did not go very well, team brass realized the tough spot he was in and still considered him for the HC role. Given how disappointing the Bears’ 2024 season was and the importance of maximizing Caleb Williams, it should be expected Brown will not be retained.

The Bears dropped from 4-2 to 4-12 this season, though Brown did nab his only win as interim HC via a game-winning field goal over the Packers in Week 18. The presences of Williams and a well-regarded skill-position group did not boost the Bears this season; the team ranked last in total offense and 28th in points scored. This stands to make a move to another play-calling post — which the Patriots’ job will be — potentially difficult for the former Sean McVay assistant.

Brown is the first confirmed interview for this position, even though a third McDaniels stint has been on the New England radar for a bit. Van Pelt confirmed he was fired along with Jerod Mayo after the Pats’ Week 18 win. If someone other than McDaniels lands the New England job, it will be the franchise’s fifth OC in five years.

Mike Vrabel To Control Patriots’ Roster?

January 15th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Mike Vrabel became connected to each of the first six teams to carry a coaching vacancy this offseason, with only the Cowboys — whose official Mike McCarthy ouster came a day after Vrabel’s Patriots hire — not tied to the former Titans HC. This gave Vrabel considerable leverage in negotiations with the team he played for during most of the 2000s.

The Bears and Jets made late pushes, but the Patriots — who were connected to Vrabel before firing Jerod Mayo — were always viewed as the frontrunners. As of Sunday, it was not known if Vrabel’s leverage was enough to secure him final say on the 53-man roster in New England. De facto GM Eliot Wolf held that last year, but he might no longer wield that power.

Instead, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran views Vrabel as the top decision-maker in New England now. Wolf and Vrabel met early this week, but the roles of Wolf and 2024 hire Alonzo Highsmith are being determined. The exec Vrabel wanted the Titans to name GM in 2023, Ryan Cowden, is also en route to Foxborough. Cowden may end up being the No. 2 man to Wolf in the Pats’ front office, but the Giants let him out of his contract for this opportunity. That points to a significant role for Cowden, who had been the Titans’ acting GM between the Jon Robinson firing and Ran Carthon hire.

Wolf has been with the Patriots since 2020, moving into a scouting director role in 2022. The Bill Belichick hire, once a popular GM candidate, would still stand to carry a major say in Pats personnel matters moving forward. But the arrivals of Vrabel and Cowden will undoubtedly curb his influence — perhaps by a significant degree. Wolf is believed to be tied to a four-year contract, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin adds. How the organization proceeds with its current front office leader will be worth monitoring this offseason.

Vrabel’s power will not reach the level of Belichick’s, Curran cautions, and SI.com’s Albert Breer said (via NBC Sports Boston) the official workflow chart should feature both Vrabel and Wolf reporting to ownership. But Curran indicates Wolf will likely see less control over the Patriots’ roster compared to what he held in 2024. Considering the about-face the Patriots completed with Mayo, it is unsurprising they agreed to a Vrabel-friendly structure to help them save face after Robert Kraft had long anointed Mayo.

A desire for more control moved Vrabel onto thin ice in Tennessee, as clashes with ownership — one of which emerging after he sat with Kraft at his Patriots Hall of Fame induction during a Titans bye week in 2023 — developed during the veteran HC’s final weeks on the job. With Carthon eventually sticking around (for another year, at least), Vrabel received his walking papers after Amy Adams Strunk tired of his presence and the Titans’ downward spiral on the field. Of course, matters have worsened for the Titans — who had advanced to three straight playoff brackets from 2019-21 — since Vrabel’s Nashville departure.

This will be more of a fixer-upper than what Vrabel inherited in Tennessee. The Titans had fired Mike Mularkey after a 9-7 season that ended in the divisional round. The Patriots are coming off a 4-13 season, with win No. 4 coming only because of the Bills having secured the AFC’s No. 2 seed. In order for Vrabel to sign off on returning to New England, it certainly appears the Patriots had to provide assurances he will hold considerable say in how the roster is shaped. With a big lead in terms of projected cap space ($120MM-plus), the Pats will see that become a significant matter soon.

Load More Posts