Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has won six Super Bowls under head coach Bill Belichick and served two years as head coach of the Denver Broncos. AP Photo/Elise Amendola
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Josh McDaniels is once again one of the hottest coaching candidates in the NFL.
On Monday, according to ESPN, the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Carolina Panthers all requested permission to interview the Patriots’ offensive coordinator
McDaniels now has to balance getting his offense ready for the Tennessee Titans while also preparing to be interviewed at some point this offseason. The 43-year-old said his attention is fully on the Patriots.
“With all due respect to the question, I’m not even aware of any of that stuff at this point,” McDaniels said Monday.
“When that stuff is presented to me or discussed with me or whatever, then we’ll deal with it appropriately. Honestly, it’s pretty easy for me in terms of my formula. I’m the offensive coordinator of the Patriots. We have a lot of work to do, we can improve in a lot of areas to try to get ready for this week – our biggest game of the year against, certainly, the best team we’ve played since a postseason game. Our players deserve that, our coaches deserve that, and that’s what they’re going to get from me.”
This isn’t the first time McDaniels has been a hot name.
In 2009, he left the Patriots to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos. McDaniels went 11-17 in two seasons and was back with the Patriots in 2012. During the 2017 season, McDaniels accepted the Indianapolis Colts job after also interviewing with the Giants and Bears. The offensive coordinator, however, backed out of the Colts job at the last minute, remaining in Foxborough. In 2016, McDaniels interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars.
This year, it looks like McDaniels is at the top of multiple team’s wish lists. According to Cleveland.com, McDaniels is “believed to be (the Browns) first choice.” That would be a homecoming for McDaniels, who was born in Barberton, Ohio, went to high school in Canton, Ohio, and college at John Carroll, which is located in University Heights, Ohio.
According to ESPN, the Giants’ two “prime candidates” are McDaniels and Baylor head coach Matt Rhule.
For now, as long as he’s in Foxborough, McDaniels’ focus will be on the Patriots.
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