2023 was a rough year for Josh McDaniels, who was fired as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders during the season. Since his dismissal, the coach has stayed out of the public eye.
However, he decided to reemerge for a major New England Patriots moment. According to a January 7 X post from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, McDaniels and his family showed up to Gillette Stadium for the Patriots Week 18 game against the New York Jets as wide receiver Matthew Slater is likely playing his last game with the team.
Former Patriots OC Josh McDaniels and his family are at Gillette Stadium today. They’re attending as fans in what could be Matthew Slater’s final game.
Slater has been with the Patriots since 2008 and McDaniels spent over a decade coaching him. It was also possibly Bill Belichick’s last game coaching the Patriots so it makes sense why McDaniels would attend considering how long he spent working under the coach in New England.
The Patriots ended up losing 17-3 so it wasn’t a great send-off for Slater or Belichick if this does end up being the last time they’re with the franchise.
Could Josh McDaniels Get New England Patriots HC Job?
Josh McDaniels has now been fired as the head coach for two different franchises before finishing a second season. It’s highly unlikely that he’ll get considered for other head coaching jobs in the near future but there’s one franchise that could be willing to take a chance on him.
McDaniels won six Super Bowls as an assistant for the Patriots and the offense fell off a cliff after he left for the Raiders job. He’s close with owner Robert Kraft and New England might be the one place he would work.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the Patriots could at least consider him for the head coaching job if Bill Belichick is let go.
“If Belichick does move on, speculation has centered on [Jerod] Mayo as his successor. That’s not a guarantee, though, and other options — particular coaches with Patriots ties, such as Josh McDaniels or Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores — shouldn’t be ruled out,” wrote Rapoport and Pelissero in a December 30 column.
It’s likely time for the Patriots to move on from Belichick and his assistants but it’s easy to see Kraft getting talked into bringing in a familiar face.
Antonio Pierce Could Be Full-Time Josh McDaniels Replacement
The biggest referendum on Josh McDaniels’s ability as a head coach is how well Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce has done since he was fired. The players have rallied behind Pierce and finished with a 5-4 record, including a big win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now Pierce has put himself in line to be the full-time replacement for McDaniels. It goes to show that being great at schematics can only take you so far as a head coach. McDaniels has had a lot of success as an offensive coordinator but has failed as a head coach.
Pierce had more success in the role and he was a linebackers coach before taking over for McDaniels. Owner Mark Davis has a big decision on his hands but Pierce has certainly done all he can to earn the head coaching job. Now it is just up to Davis to decide what he wants going forward.
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Josh McDaniels Makes First Public Appearance Since Raiders Firing