Josh McDaniels’ status as a New England Patriots cornerstone isn’t concrete.
The Patriots offensive coordinator hasn’t ruled out leaving the franchise at some point in order to become a head coach elsewhere, Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson reported Monday, citing sources close to McDaniels. The Patriots in February convinced McDaniels to turn down the Indianapolis Colts’ head coaching job, after he already had accepted it, to stay in New England. McDaniels welcomed the idea of continuing to work with the likes of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady and also signed a lucrative, long-term contract extension, but that doesn’t mean he’ll remain in place over the long term, according to Robinson.
“Whether McDaniels will be in the mix for coaching vacancies next offseason depends on who you speak to,” Robinson writes. “Those close to McDaniels say he hasn’t completely closed the door on leaving the Patriots at some point – even with the Colts fiasco still fresh, his re-worked contract and head coach Bill Belichick opening up the inner workings of the franchise to him.
McDaniels also has a “brand of ambition that keeps his mind open to new opportunities,” according to Robinson.
McDaniels stressed to The Boston Globe’s Jim McBride in March there’s no “understanding” in place stating he’ll replace Belichick when he decides to retire.
Robinson’s reporting came in the aftermath of the Cleveland Browns decision to fire Hue Jackson on Monday after an historically bad tenure as head coach. Robinson considers McDaniels among the contenders to take charge of the Browns next season, but no firm links between the Patriots assistant and the Cleveland job exists at this point.
But as we’ve learned from the arc of McDaniels’ career, nothing is set in stone until the moment of truth arrives.
