Which Patriots players will be impacted the most by the hire of Josh McDaniels?
Which players currently on the Patriots’ roster will be the most impacted by the hire of Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator?
For the third time, the New England Patriots have hired Josh McDaniels to be their offensive coordinator. However, this hire comes in different circumstances than the previous two.
The first two times McDaniels’ was named the Patriots’ play caller – in 2005 and 2012 – he was taking over an offense that had been successful and had its previous coordinator hired away. The 2004 Patriots ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring, and the 2011 team ranked third.
This time around, McDaniels will be tasked with turning around an offense that struggled and a staff that is on track to be fully replaced. The Patriots ranked 30th in scoring last year averaging an even 17 points per game, and just about every offensive staffer from OC Alex Van Pelt to the positional coaches has either already taken another job or is reported to be moving on.
WATCH: Barth & Dolloff react to the Patriots coordinator hires
A big part of that turnaround – perhaps the biggest – should revolve around upgrading the talent on the Patriots’ roster. As that multi-year process goes on though, there should also be hope that McDaniels (and by extension his new coaching staff) can help elevate the play of at least a few players already on the roster. That can be accomplished through the offensive system and design, as well as improvements in player development. These players may not become stars overnight, but they may be in position to make a greater and more positive impact.
There might also be players that end up worse off in a McDaniels offense than they were in the previous system. The previous coaching staff may have had plans for some recent acquisitions that will now change with McDaniels taking over.
Of course, the hope is the biggest beneficiary is quarterback Drake Maye. McDaniels has a strong record of working with quarterbacks, and has done a good job in the past adapting his offensive system to the skillset of whoever is under center. There are a few different directions McDaniels could go with his plan for Maye, as the third overall pick begins his crucial second year.
Beyond Maye, which players might get the most help from McDaniels? And which players may find themselves facing an uphill battle? Let’s take a look…
Help: RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Under McDaniels in the past, the Patriots distribution of running back reps was done by situation. There were early-down backs (ex. Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, LeGarrette Blount) and passing-down backs (ex. Kevin Faulk, Shane Vereen, James White). Some backs could go back and forth between the two roles (ex. Brandon Bolden, Rex Burkhead), but for the most part his is how playing time was distributed.
In the three years since McDaniels left the Patriots have broken up their running backs workload by drives, with backs being on the field in all situations. While that makes the offense slightly less predictable, it also asks a lot more of the backs in terms of assignments and durability.
That strategy has taken its toll on Stevenson the last three years. Since 2022 Stevenson has recorded 713 touches – the 13th most in the NFL in that span. That workload can lead to injuries, and fatigued players are more likely to fumble as well.
While Stevenson is a capable pass catcher, he’s at his best when he’s running downhill. McDaniels’ offense should allow him to do more of that, while also taking many of the receiving responsibilities off his plate. Assuming he can fix the ball security issues, the pieces are in place for Stevenson to have a bounce-back year in 2025.
Doesn’t help: WR Ja’Lynn Polk

Based on his physical skillset, Polk looks to be a solid fit in McDaniels’ offense. Coming out of college Polk was described as a reliable receiver who could make catches through contact, find openings in the defense, and be a reliable chain-moving option in an offense. For those traits he was often compared to Jakobi Meyers, who thrived in McDaniels’ offense both in New England and Las Vegas.
However, as a rookie he failed to live up to those comparisons. He was not the same reliable receiver he was at Washington, particularly having issues with drops and route execution.
Could McDaniels look at Polk’s raw skillset and see a turnaround in store in a new offensive system? It’s possible. But at the same time, would he be willing to entrust such a key role to a second-year player who failed to show any growth as a rookie? That seems less likely. It wouldn’t be surprising if Polk is facing serious competition – if not buried on the depth chart outright – based on new additions once the roster-building process is complete. A fight to earn playing time could be ahead.
Help: WR Kendrick Bourne

Bourne was one of the first Patriots players to react to McDaniels’ hiring on social media. The 29-year-old had a celebratory response to the move.
That shouldn’t be surprising. Bourne certainly has good reason to be happy McDaniels is back. In their lone season together in New England Bourne had a career year, catching 55 passes for 800 yards and five touchdowns. In fact, that year from the time he entered the starting lineup in Week 3 until he got COVID in December, Bourne was on a 1,000-yard pace.
Granted, that was three years and an ACL tear ago for Bourne. There’s no guarantee he’ll be able to pick up exactly where he left off. But after three years of the team not being able to figure out his proper usage, having the coach back that did should be encouraging.
Doesn’t help: WR Javon Baker

Last season, Van Pelt cited “details…Lining up correctly, running the right routes, earning the trust of the coaching staff and the quarterback” as a reason Baker struggled to get on the field. While Van Pelt made that comment in October Baker apparently failed to make the nessesary strides behind the scenes throughout the year. He was a healthy scratch multiple times, and never played more than 11 snaps in a game until the final week of the season.
While the complexity of McDaniels’ offense may be overly-exaggerated by some right now, it will likely be more intricate than what the Patriots ran last year. If he can’t pick it up, he’s probably not going to get on the field.
Help: Tight end Hunter Henry

This one is pretty straight forward. We know McDaniels likes to involve the tight end in his offense, and there’s no reason to think Henry won’t be at the top of the depth chart at that position next year.
Henry is already coming off a season in which he set career highs for catches (66) and yards (674). Clearly, Maye likes throwing him the ball. At the same time his career high for touchdowns (9) came the last time he was in a McDaniels offense in 2021. If he stays healthy, another big year should be in store in 2025.
Doesn’t help: IOL Cole Strange

When the Patriots drafted Strange in 2022, they did so as they were trying to install a West Coast offense with a zone-based rushing attack. That won’t be the case with McDaniels, who traditionally has had bigger, more people-moving guards to run more gap and power concepts. At 6-foot-5, 310 pounds Strange doesn’t have the build or play strength guards in that system typically do.
Given that, it wouldn’t be surprising if McDaniels tries to find a more traditional power guard for the left side. If that’s the case Strange’s only path to playing time would be at center. He did get some reps at that position at the end of the 2024 season, but with David Andrews expected to return he may find himself competing for a backup job initially.
Help: G Sidy Sow

McDaniels may have at least one in-house option when it comes to finding that guard. Sow profiles much closer to the left guards the Patriots have had in the past under McDaniels. He’s more of a scraper, but does have the athleticism to get out and play in space as well. However, he struggled to get on the field last season.
This isn’t to say the starting left guard spot will be handed to Sow outright. That would be surprising But if there ends up being an open competition for the job, he’ll be positioned better to make an impact in McDaniels’ offense.