NFL rumors in recent days have made it pretty evident that Mike Vrabel will likely become the next New England Patriots coach, replacing Jerod Mayo. Assuming Vrabel is officially hired, one of the most pressing questions will be who will serve as the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2025.

New England already fired Alex Van Pelt, who served as offensive coordinator and play-caller under Mayo. With Vrabel the overwhelming favorite to land the head-coaching gig, his track record of success with offensive coordinator hires (Arthur Smith and Matt LaFleur) bodes well for New England.

While the next Patriots coach will certainly take his time evaluating candidates and interviewing several prominent options, a favorite already seems to be emerging to serve as New England’s offensive architect who will play an integral role in the development of quarterback Drake Maye.

Appearing on Saturday’s CBS NFL pre-game show, insider Jonathan Jones of CBSSports.com said that Vrabel could hire Josh McDaniels to return as the Patriots offensive coordinator.

“Look for Vrabel to potentially bring Josh McDaniels [back to New England] as his offensive coordinator.”

CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones on the New England Patriots offensive coordinator in 2025

McDaniels, who turns 49 in April, has been out of the NFL since being fired as the Las Vegas Raiders coach in 2023. After taking a year off from football, returning to serve as the Patriots offensive coordinator would make sense for the six-time Super Bowl champion.

He last called plays for the Patriots offense in 2021, when the team finished seventh in scoring (26.6 PPG), red-zone touchdown rate (63.08 percent) and third-down conversion rate (43.95 percent) while placing 14th in yards-per-play average (5.7)

McDaniels’ success that season came with rookie quarterback Mac Jones – 67.6 percent completion rate, 22-13 TD-INT, 92.5 QB rating – whose production fell off (24-23 TD-INT and 81.4 QB rating) after McDaniels left New England. However, the long-time offensive coordinator did struggle to generate consistent offenses as a play-caller with the Denver Broncos (2009-’10), St. Louis Rams (2011) and the Raiders (2022-’23). Given his relationship with Vrabel, though, it would be considered a relatively safe hire.