Two days removed from their final game of 2022, the New England Patriots are still in the early stages of the offseason. But while they have started the process of setting the team up for the upcoming year, one box has not yet been ticked: getting in touch with Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
O’Brien, of course, is seen as a realistic candidate to join the Patriots in hopes of getting their offense back on track. The two sides have not had any contact so far, however, according to a report by NBC Boston’s Tom E. Curran.
The Patriots and O’Brien last were in touch in April. Since then, there has not been any reported movement to set up a potential reunion; O’Brien focused on his work with the Crimson Tide, while New England had the duo of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge run the offense in Year 1 after long-time coordinator Josh McDaniels.
The unit struggled throughout the season, though, which might prompt the Patriots to move Patricia and Judge to other assignments and bring an experienced leader into the fold. O’Brien would be just that, hence the speculation that he might come back to his old stomping grounds.
The 53-year-old has not just worked at Alabama, after all; he also spent five seasons in New England. Initially serving as an offensive assistant, he went on to coach wide receivers and quarterbacks before taking over as coordinator in 2011 — leaving the team to join his Penn State after one season.
O’Brien also spent time as the Houston Texans’ head coach before joining the Crimson Tide in 2021. With his contract set to expire, a return to the NFL appears to be imminent.
So far, however, New England has not reached out.
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