New England Patriots

New England Patriots

New England Patriots

In the wake of the Patriots’ coaching overhaul, Matt Patricia’s future was left up in the air. The one-time defensive coordinator turned offensive play caller is currently without a role and reportedly without a contract for the 2023 season. He was also one of the few coaches who didn’t take part in coaching the Shrine Bowl last month. As of a report in late January, Patricia was “still assessing his future” but it did sound like there was a chance he’d return to New England in some capacity.

Given the way the Patriots’ offense – and specifically quarterback Mac Jones – performed under Patricia in 2022, there were also questions about whether or not he’d be able to land a job elsewhere this offseason. Apparently, the answer to that question may be yes.


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  • Wednesday night,

    The #Broncos spent today with an intriguing candidate for their vacant defense coordinator job: Matt Patricia. Sources tell me and @TomPelissero the former #Patriots assistant is in Denver speaking with Sean Payton today. Rex Ryan and Vance Joseph are also top candidates.

    — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 22, 2023?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared that Patricia had spent the day in Denver, speaking with new head coach Sean Payton about the team’s defensive coordinator position. In describing the state of the hiring process, Rapoport said that “Rex Ryan and Vance Joseph are also top candidates,” that also potentially implying Patricia could be a ‘top’ candidate as well.

    Patricia last worked on the defensive side of the ball when he was the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 2018-2020. In those three years, the defense finished each season ranked (chronologically) 16th, then 26th, and finally 32nd in 2020, with Patricia being let go 11 games into the season.

    In Denver, Patricia would work with what is already an impressive defensive unit. Despite the Broncos’ overall struggles as of late the defense has been competitive, finishing ranked in the top half of the league three of the last four years including two top 10 finishes.

    If Patricia does land in Denver, that doesn’t mean Patriots fans won’t see him at all in 2023. The Patriots are scheduled to play the Broncos in Denver next season in a matchup that could potentially now have a dominant storyline.

  • Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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