NFL Rumors: Josh McDaniels Would’ve Left Patriots Under These Circumstances

The New England Patriots’ offseason was filled with significant departures, but there was one important member of the organization who stuck around despite chatter suggesting otherwise.

Josh McDaniels returned for another go-round as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. It’s unknown how much traction McDaniels made with other franchises following the 2019 season, but he reportedly was in the mix for multiple head-coaching vacancies.

One of those openings apparently appealed to McDaniels more so than the rest. When asked in his weekly mailbag if a great season from Cam Newton would motivate McDaniels to stick around in Foxboro beyond 2020, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted the latter likely would have left the Patriots over the winter under the right circumstances.

” … Had the Browns offered McDaniels the job, and allowed McDaniels to bring a GM with him (it likely would’ve been Patriots scouting exec Dave Ziegler) and set football ops up as he saw fit, he’d be gone already,” Breer wrote. “And I also know he was intrigued by the Carolina job, which was filled by Matt Rhule just as he was set to interview (the Panthers had to move quickly, for obvious reasons).

“So that tells you that, yes, he’s prepared to take a job elsewhere, but also that the way the place is set up — from ownership to who the GM is to how football ops would be set up — is a big factor for him, after what happened in Denver.”

We can’t imagine McDaniels will address his future at any point during the current season. The Patriots OC has plenty on his plate as he looks to turn the Newton-led offense into a formidable unit.

Thumbnail photo via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports Images