Could Josh McDaniels return to Patriots after being fired by Raiders?
Could Josh McDaniels return to Patriots after being fired by Raiders? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Las Vegas Raiders are not very patient with head coaches, and Josh McDaniels just found out the hard way.
McDaniels was fired by Raiders owner Mark Davis on Tuesday night. Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi also were let go.
McDaniels' tenure in Las Vegas lasted only 25 games with a record of 9-16. The Raiders went 6-11 in his first year and 3-5 this season. The Raiders were McDaniels' second opportunity to be an NFL head coach. He was fired in his second season with Denver Broncos, too. Overall, his head coaching record is 20-33.
Both of McDaniels' head coach jobs came after successful stints as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots. Given McDaniels' familiarity with the Patriots and his previous success in a few different roles in Foxboro, would the AFC East franchise entertain bringing him back in some capacity this season?
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Bill Belichick was asked about McDaniels' firing Wednesday morning. His answer was predictable.
"I just heard about it this morning," Belichick told reporters at his press conference. "I'm just trying to get ready for Washington."
Former Patriots safety Devin McCourty was asked Wednesday on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show about the idea of McDaniels coming back to New England.
"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?'"
The Patriots already have Bill O'Brien in place as the offensive coordinator. So that role isn't available to McDaniels. But maybe some kind of offensive consultant role would make sense.
Mac Jones' best season as the Patriots' starting quarterback came in 2021 as a rookie. It was his only season with McDaniels on the coaching staff. McDaniels left to join the Raiders in January of 2022.
Jones has struggled mightily since McDaniels departed. This season he's completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 1,665 yards with just nine touchdowns and eight interceptions. His less-than-stellar performance is among the reasons why the Patriots offense ranks 26th in total yards per game (284.8), 27th in rushing yards per game (84.4), 27th in rush yards per attempt (3.6), 25th in third-down conversions (34 percent) and 31st in scoring (14.8 points per game).
McDaniels' ability to be a quality head coach is very much in question after two failures with the Broncos and Raiders. But there's no doubt he's an excellent offensive coach. Some kind of role where he can help the offense would be beneficial to the Patriots and Jones.
