Just like the last few years, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is once again one of the hottest names on the head coaching market. The 42-year old is reportedly on several teams’ radars, and was furthermore seen as the leading candidate to become the new head coach of the Green Bay Packers. But while there is still a chance that he might work elsewhere next season, it will not be in Wisconsin.
The Packers are on their way to make Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur their next head coach. According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the club has already started to notify other potential candidates they have interviewed — with McDaniels likely among them — that they are out of the race and that it has made its final choice. Apparently, the decision has fallen on LaFleur.
The 39-year old will now take over for long-time Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, who was fired midway through the regular season while his team was sitting at a 4-7-1 record. In Tennessee, meanwhile, LaFleur was in his first season calling plays as the Titans’ offensive coordinator. His success, however, was limited as the unit finished just 27th in the league with a mere 19.4 points scored per game.
Still, the 39-year old still comes with plenty of experience especially when it comes to working with quarterbacks. LaFleur was quarterbacks coach in Washington during the early Robert Griffin III/Kirk Cousins era and in Atlanta when Matt Ryan was league MVP. He also served as the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator — although he did not call the plays — during Jared Goff’s breakout-season in 2017.
The Packers opting to go with LaFleur eliminates a serious contender for Josh McDaniels’ services, after he himself already declined an interview request by the Cincinnati Bengals. While other teams like the Cleveland Browns — they did not invite McDaniels to an interview, however — are attractive landing spots, it would also not be a surprise if the 42-year old ultimately returned to New England again.