Patriots

NFL insiders explain why Josh McDaniels hasn’t been interviewed for a head coaching job

A quarter of the head coaching jobs are open, but McDaniels hasn't been requested for an interview yet.

By Conor Roche

January 15, 2022

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As the Patriots went on a seven-game winning streak behind impressive play from rookie quarterback Mac Jones, several NFL insiders and experts pointed at offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as a prime head coach candidate this offseason.

But as days have passed since a quarter of the league’s head coaching jobs have opened up, McDaniels has yet to receive an interview request.

It’s easy to wonder if McDaniels’s past discretions as head coach of the Broncos and the way he ditched the Colts are the reasons why he hasn’t been interviewed yet. However, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport believes neither of those situations is the reason why he hasn’t been requested for an interview yet.

“I don’t know that it’s that, as much as it has to be perfect,” Rapoport said of McDaniels’s past in an interview on WEEI’s “Gresh and Keefe.” “First of all, with him, people are not going to request him unless they know he’s going to take the interview and is very interested in the job. He’s not – like Brian Callahan, the offensive coordinator for the Bengals, good young coach, very well respected, will probably take any interview he gets.

“Josh McDaniels is obviously not like that, so I think his lack of requests is probably as much due to anything as much as you’re only going to request him if you’re basically going to hire him. Otherwise, you’re not going to go all the way down the road. I think for him, the process is different from basically any other candidate.”

The Patriots are surprised that McDaniels hasn’t received a request yet, according to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio. But McDaniels wants to wait to interview for head coaching jobs until after the Patriots are out of the playoffs, according to Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson.

“McDaniels is regarded as willing now to potentially leave the Patriots,” Wilson wrote. “One league source characterized McDaniels’ future as bright and emphasized that it could be boosted even more if he remains in New England for another year coaching Jones to a higher level of play.”

As for teams that could possibly go after McDaniels, Wilson mentions the Bears, Vikings, and Giants as teams that have “significant interest.” However, Wilson writes that McDaniels “is not expected to pursue a job” with the Texans.

McDaniels has been linked to the Giants in the past. Following the conclusion of the Patriots’ 2019 season, McDaniels delayed his head coach interviews to do routine end-of-season work back in New England. By the time it came for McDaniels to finally interview with the Giants, they already picked then-Patriots special teams coordinator Joe Judge to be their next head coach. McDaniels also interviewed for the Giants job in 2018.

Rapoport has speculated McDaniels as a possible fit for the Vikings job, mentioning that he might want to go to a place that is also looking to hire a general manager. Rapoport also mentioned the Raiders as a possibility for the same reason, but they’re putting their head coach search on hold until their season ends.

McDaniels might have an uphill battle to climb if he wants the Bears job because of who is making the decision, according to Florio.

“In Chicago, the McCaskeys have basically given the keys to the G.M. and coach search to Bill Polian,” Florio wrote. “As one source put it, Polian and McDaniels aren’t close friends. That could keep Polian from nudging the process toward McDaniels.”