Believe it or not, the New England Patriots’ coaching staff could have looked very different this season.
It was well known this offseason that multiple teams had interest in interviewing Patriots personnel — including both offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia — for various job openings. And while nothing came to fruition, the San Francisco 49ers came pretty close to hiring two prominent Patriots employees, according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora.
“The 49ers intently pursued Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and esteemed player personnel director Nick Caserio in January and nearly completed contracts with both highly-sought candidates,” La Canfora reported Sunday, adding that McDaniels and Caserio “very much were a potential package deal” for San Francisco.
It was reported back in January that Caserio turned down his interview with the Niners, while McDaniels did interview with San Francisco but ultimately decided to stay in New England. Still, La Canfora said the two were interested enough to “heavily consider” taking the jobs.
San Francisco ended up hiring former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as its head coach and former safety/analyst John Lynch as its GM.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
