It seems that two NFL franchises are trying extremely hard to hire away New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to serve as a quarterback whisperer to their young signal callers, per Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman.
Freeman interviewed a handful of coaches and front office personnel to get a read on the current head coach hiring climate and the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars really want McDaniels to head their franchises.
“The Rams want Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (get in line, Rams),” Freeman writes. “But, I'm told, McDaniels is in no hurry to become a head coach again. So keep that in mind as you hear his name repeatedly after the season. He is a patient guy and will wait for the perfect opportunity.”
Freeman says there are doubts around the league about Goff’s talent and whether McDaniels would want to tie his second and possibly final head coaching opportunity to a quarterback that he didn’t have the opportunity to draft.
“The Rams are focusing on [McDaniels], I'm told, because he's more realistic [than other options], and he's a big enough name to sell in L.A.,” Freeman adds. “Plus, he can fix any potential Goff issues, the Rams think. Would McDaniels go to Los Angeles? That's the unknown.”
In addition to the Rams, Freeman says that he’s heard McDaniels connected to the Jaguars “a lot”, as Jacksonville wants to set QB Blake Bortles on the right path.
Ultimately, McDaniels doesn’t have to make a decision this year. He turned down the 49ers and Browns in recent years due to questionable ownership, although it’s clear the Rams and Jaguars are willing to give their head coaches extremely long leashes. But would McDaniels want to take a job where he didn’t get to pick the franchise quarterback?
I do wonder if McDaniels would be most interested in the Bears job, where he wouldn’t be married to Jay Cutler (just like his first job in Denver!), and where he might be able to bring Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo along for the ride.
And if the Patriots make another deep playoff run, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if other teams rush to fill their openings, leaving McDaniels to return for another year in New England.