Josh McDaniels will interview with three teams this week
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
With his scheduled freed up, New England Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels will interview for three head coaching vacancies this week, according to NFL insider Albert Breer and multiple reports.
Up first will be the Panthers, who are traveling to Boston to meet with McDaniels on Tuesday.
The Panthers, of course, boast a roster featuring perhaps the most dynamic running back in football in Christian McCaffrey, but questions linger at the most important question, with Cam Newton’s future with the organization seemingly in doubt. Kyle Allen, who replaced Newton in the middle of the 2019 season, went 5-7 with 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions as the Panthers’ starter.
After his meeting with the Panthers, McDaniels will reportedly travel to New Jersey on Wednesday, where he will meet with the Giants. New York’s search for a new head coach comes after two ridiculously forgettable years with Pat Shurmur running the show to a 9-23 record, and with the Giants searching for the next coach to help usher in the Daniel Jones Era. The Giants interviewed New England special teams coordinator and wide receivers Joe Judge, who is also drawing interest from Mississippi State for their vacant head coaching job, on Monday.
It would appear as if McDaniels is saving the best for last, too, as he will conduct his interview with the Browns on Friday.
For McDaniels, signing on with the Browns would mean a homecoming of sorts for the Ohio native, and give him a LeBron-esque chance at bringing glory (read as: a championship) back to Cleveland. The Haslams are reportedly high on McDaniels, and would consider offering him a ‘Belichick-role’ if it meant getting him to join the Browns.
The Browns seem like a tantalizing option for McDaniels beyond the Ohio connection and potential control of the football operations department (if he even wants that), too, as he would be stepping into a situation where he could help further develop Baker Mayfield as he enters his pivotal third season. And with an offense featuring weapons like Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry, and Odell Beckham Jr. (barring a trade), no less.
And if there was ever a time for McDaniels to finally leave the Patriots, now seems to be the time. In addition to the uncertain regarding Tom Brady (a true free agent come Mar. 18), these potential jobs may be the best McDaniels will find if he’s looking for a true second chance at succeeding as a head coach, and would help wash away some of the stink that’s come with his decision to leave the Colts at the altar back in 2018.
Breer seems to believe that McDaniels is indeed ready to leave the Patriots, and that he’s already targeted a couple of potential coordinators to join his staff if and when he departs the organization.
McDaniels, who returned for his second Patriots stint during the 2011 playoffs, has an 11-17 career record as a head coach from his nearly two-season run with the Broncos from 2009 to 2010.