The Patriots are dipping back into the past once again.
New England is expected to hire Josh McDaniels as head coach Mike Vrabel's new offensive coordinator, a position he held on two previous occasions, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday.
McDaniels returns to New England a year and a half removed from a failed stint as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, where he was 9-16 in fewer than two seasons before he was fired midseason in 2023.
But before his run with the Silver and Black, McDaniels was a highly regarded OC for much of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichck era in New England.
McDaniels first became the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2006 and, in 2007, he oversaw a record-setting offense for a New England team that finished just shy of becoming the second-ever undefeated Super Bowl champ. After three years with the Pats, McDaniels was hired as head coach of the Denver Broncos, a position he held for two seasons.
McDaniels then returned to Foxborough in 2012 where he resumed his post directing the Brady-led offense to great effect. McDaniels' offense finished in the top five in points for seven consecutive seasons (2012-2018), and the Patriots won three Super Bowl titles over that span.
In New England, McDaniels' top priority will be developing quarterback Drake Maye, who is coming off a successful rookie season in which he threw 15 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and looked like a future franchise quarterback.
McDaniels has previously shown an ability to work with a young signal-caller as he coached Mac Jones to his best year in the NFL back when he was a rookie in 2021 with the Pats.