Ex-Patriot ‘Would Not Be Surprised’ If Josh McDaniels Returned

With Josh McDaniels now a coaching free agent after being fired by the Raiders, could he land back with the Patriots?

One New England great easily could see that happening.

Retired safety Devin McCourty said Wednesday on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" that a McDaniels reunion is a distinct possibility.

"I would not be surprised if Josh was back on staff," McCourty said, as transcribed by WEEI.com's Mike Kadlick. "But I also, you know, if I'm Josh like, hey man, we've still got 4 1/2 years fully guaranteed. For this year, let's take a little mental break for the rest of this season."

The Raiders dismissed McDaniels early Wednesday morning less than two years after signing him to a six-year contract. The Patriots have a history of bringing back coaches in similar situations (i.e. while other teams still are paying them hefty salaries), most notably Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.

McDaniels also already made his way back to New England once. After his forgettable 1 1/2-year stint as the Denver Broncos' head coach, he spent the 2011 season as the offensive coordinator in St. Louis, then rejoined the Patriots' coaching staff for the '11 playoffs. McDaniels spent the next 10 seasons as New England's OC before landing the Raiders job.

"I think for New England, Josh has had so much success over there," McCourty said. "I would be shocked if they don't at least call him and say 'Hey, do you want to come back and lend a helping hand, of some sort.' "

Quarterback Mac Jones and the Patriots offense had success under McDaniels in 2021. Both cratered under Patricia/Judge a year ago and have struggled under new coordinator Bill O'Brien this season.

New England enters Week 9 ranked second-to-last in the NFL in points per game (14.8). Las Vegas is third-to-last at 15.8.