The New England Patriots have two of the hottest names on the coaching market in their ranks: Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. And with six teams entering their offseason short of a head coach, four of them did look to Foxboro to potentially fill those voids.
While McDaniels held interviews with the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars, Patricia was interviewed by the Rams and the San Diego Los Angeles Chargers. Three of those four teams have already filled their head coaching vacancies: The Jaguars signed Doug Marrone, the Chargers Anthony Lynn and Rams Sean McVay.
This means two things. With the two teams from Los Angeles having decided to choose Lynn and McVay, Matt Patricia’s return as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator in 2017 is pretty much guaranteed. It also means that there is only one team left to sign New England’s offensive coordinator away: the San Francisco 49ers.
Ever since his interview, the 49ers were seen as the favorite to offer McDaniels their next head coaching job. The question is, though, if a) the team will really do that and b) McDaniels in turn feels that San Francisco is attractive enough a destination for him to leave the safe haven that is New England. After having failed in Denver, where he was the head coach from 2009 until midway through the 2010 season, the 40-year old has made it clear that he is inclined to wait until the perfect opportunity arises for him to become a head coach again.
Whether the 49ers are just that remains to be seen.