Patriots-Bill O’Brien reunion gains steam with latest prediction
The Bill O’Brien and New England Patriots rumors haven’t lost steam, and one ESPN analyst is predicting that a reunion will happen.
Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz has his eyes set on a reunion in 2023. His big prediction for the offseason is that the offensive coordinator position will indeed go back to O’Brien.
O’Brien was a key part of the Patriots offense of the early 2010s. The Massachusetts native served on New England’s staff for a while, before taking a head coaching job at Penn State.
In the NFL, he reemerged as the head coach for the Houston Texans between 2014 and 2020. He was even appointed to the general manager position for 2020.
His name continues to pop up in conversations as a leading offensive coordinator candidate, as the search for the Patriots’ next play-caller continues. Recent reports indicated that he wasn’t necessarily on board with the idea, but Schatz’s prediction adds fuel to the fire.
In a column for ESPN.com, Schatz wrote:
“The Patriots will try to resuscitate their offense by bringing back Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator. O’Brien’s two-year contract with Alabama ended after the Sugar Bowl, and he served as New England’s coordinator in 2011.”
It remains to be determined who New England will ultimately choose for the job. Nevertheless, O’Brien seems to be one of the more popular names to supplant Matt Patricia.
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List of Patriots practice squad players not signed to future contracts
