Bill Belichick talks about how he got Josh McDaniels to stay with the Patriots

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick rarely peels back the curtain to reveal anything that happens behind the scenes in Foxborough.

So when Belichick spoke at the NFL’s annual meeting about how the team managed to retain offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after McDaniels had already commit to the head coaching job for the Indianapolis Colts, people listened- even if it was just the tiniest morsel of information.

And it all started in the wake of Super Bowl LII.

“Once that game ended, I think that really gave Josh and I a chance to sit down [Tuesday] and talk more directly about the situation, as opposed to, ‘We really want to talk about the game and what we need to do to try to compete in that game.’ That’s basically what happened,” Belichick said, via ESPN. “Before the game, I’d say we had minimal discussions. I’d say we had much deeper and longer and more in-depth and more constructive discussions immediately after the game.

“We were able to work some things out,” Belichick added. “I’m thrilled he’s still with us and is going to continue in his role. I think he’s a top offensive coordinator in the league. He’s done a great job for me for a long time in a lot of different roles. I’m very glad, based on the meeting we had -- there were a number of things that happened -- that we were able to work that out and keep him with us.”

Let’s cut through the coach-speak. What did Belichick ultimately say?

1. Belichick and McDaniels didn’t really talk about McDaniels staying on board prior to the Super Bowl. This is why McDaniels was unclear about his future with the team and willing to take the head coaching job of the Colts.
2. On Tuesday after the Super Bowl, the two had a discussion about what McDaniels’ future could be with the team.
3. They worked out what McDaniels’ role would be with the team moving forward. He’s going to remain the offensive coordinator for now.

And...that’s that. Belichick will never be the type to discuss what happened with another person behind closed doors, so this is as much as the coach will comment on the situation.

There are reports that Belichick agreed to teach McDaniels more about running a team and to take him further under his wing, but you won’t hear that from Bill.

Any theories on other potential topics of discussion between Belichick and McDaniels?