Robert Kraft weighs in on Patriots’ re-hiring of Josh McDaniels
Patriots owner Robert Kraft has offered his first on-the-record comments about the team’s critical decision to bring back Josh McDaniels as their new offensive coordinator.
Thanks to some reporting by Chad Graff of The Athletic, Kraft has shared his own insight about the hiring process with McDaniels. It was almost as quick as the process of hiring Mike Vrabel as the Patriots’ new head coach, as both hires seemed to come together as if preordained. And due to McDaniels’ long history with the Pats organization and the Krafts, talk of a possible “arranged marriage” between Vrabel and McDaniels has started to percolate. As in, Vrabel didn’t necessarily pick McDaniels himself as his new offensive coordinator.
Here’s what Kraft had to say about the matter, via Graff:
“When we interviewed Mike [Vrabel] and asked whom he might be interested in bringing on, without a pause, his first one was to bring Josh McDaniels because he thought it would be something very special for [quarterback] Drake [Maye]. Their experience and chemistry together is very positive. I think that was a good development. From every way you look at it, I think it’s a win-win. It was his decision. Josh was very excited. Hope we get the fruits of the potential positives out of that. He has a pretty good history of developing and dealing with good quarterbacks and developing an offense that can really produce.”
The Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard is one reporter who has wondered about that arranged marriage possibility. But he said in a recent story that, based on fresh conversations, some of his concerns about that have been alleviated. Bedard seems to have heard similar things about Vrabel being legitimately interested in McDaniels, particularly due to his experience after having issues with less seasoned coordinators in Tennessee.
Kraft could certainly be laying it on a little thick, here. McDaniels was Vrabel’s first choice, brought up unprompted, “without pause?” That sounds like an awfully convenient retelling, after weeks of speculation about the two being mashed together.
The truest part of Kraft’s comment? The “win-win” part. Speaking of convenience, that’s why McDaniels was a convenient hire. He was the most experienced and accomplished offensive coordinator candidate in the league, not just for the Patriots. And he also happens to be a Kraft favorite who is still getting paid by the Raiders – for the next three seasons. Conveniently, good at his job, and also an emblem of familiarity and affordability.
But regardless of how Kraft might dress up the whole process, it does sound like Vrabel wanted McDaniels. The two aren’t necessarily forced to coexist in an undesirable environment.
That doesn’t mean that issues couldn’t arise between Vrabel, McDaniels, and any combination of assistants on the Patriots staff. Nothing ever works out perfectly. But if the Pats have problems again in 2025, it won’t be because of a lack of experience or ability among the coaches.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
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