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One of the biggest stories this offseason was Josh McDaniels' decision to spurn the Indianapolis Colts and their head coaching job to remain the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator. He was seemingly out the door before a last-minute meeting with legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft changed his mind.
While reports leaked about the specifics of that meeting, McDaniels discussed what really happened while speaking to the media for the first time since the decision on Monday. From the Boston Globe's Jim McBride:
“I wasn’t 100 percent sure what the future was. I just hadn’t had any clarity on that,’’ McDaniels said Monday, speaking publicly for the first time since his decision. “So, where did I fit in? Were there any plans? I just didn’t have much clarity on what my role was here moving forward.’’
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“Once I heard from Robert and Bill on that Tuesday, it just gave me reason to pause and consider this whole situation,’’ said McDaniels.
While McBride notes that McDaniels' contract was adjusted to make the decision to stay easier, he was not guaranteed the head coaching job when Belichick eventually walks away, contrary to some reports at the time.
McDaniels elaborated on his line of thinking and the importance of having clarity regarding his place in the organization.
“The opportunity to stay here and work for who I think is the greatest owner in sports and the best head football coach in the history of our game, to work with the best quarterback that has ever played . . . Look, I’m privileged to have the opportunity to do that and when they kind of crystallized that — ‘Hey, here’s what we see going forward and here’s how we would like you to fit into it’ — it gave me a reason to stop and say, ‘All right, what’s the best decision for me?’”
McDaniels also talked about the difficult, but necessary, conversation he had with Colts general manager Chris Ballard. At the time, Indianapolis' official social media accounts and website already had pictures of McDaniels welcoming him to the franchise. Ballard didn't mince his words when discussing his disappointment shortly after.
It didn't take long for the organization to find another head coach in Frank Reich, who served as the offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
