A week after they announced they would be looking for a new offensive coordinator, the New England Patriots took the first steps in that process on Wednesday.

The Patriots have requested to interview Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell for the job and they'll interview tight ends coach Nick Caley on Wednesday, the NFL Network reported.

McCardell is an intriguing candidate for the role for a few reasons. The former NFL wide receiver actually played for Patriots coach Bill Belichick back when he coached the Cleveland Browns. Belichick's Browns team signed McCardell in 1992, a year after he was released by the Washington Redskins when he was a rookie and became the team's leading receiver by 1995. Belichick viewed McCardell in high fashion throughout the receiver's playing career as he became a Pro Bowler in his future stops before retiring in 2007.

McCardell's coached wide receivers since 2010, starting with Washington before a brief stint in the college game at Maryland in 2014 and 2015 before stops with the Jaguars (2017-20) and Vikings (2021-present). In recent seasons, he's helped developed Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, and D.J. Chark. When he was in Jacksonville, McCardell coached under Doug Marrone, someone who Belichick also has close ties with.

As for Caley, he's the strongest internal candidate for the role. The tight ends coach has been in New England since 2015 and has held his current position since 2017. He's also one of just two holdovers on the Patriots' offensive coaching staff following Josh McDaniels' departure to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. Caley's reportedly been in charge of game-planning the Patriots' run game over the last few seasons. The 39-year-old also interviewed for the New York Jets' vacant offensive coordinator role on Tuesday.

McCardell and Caley are reportedly expected to be just two of many candidates for the Patriots' offensive coordinator position. Bill O'Brien is also a candidate, the NFL Network reported Wednesday.

O'Brien, who was on the Patriots' coaching staff from 2007-11, seems to be the favorite for the job. A “very influential voice” in the Patriots' organization “definitively wants Bill O’Brien as the OC,” the NFL Network reported Friday. O'Brien is also the “primary target” for the role, NBC Sports Tom E. Curran reported Monday.

It's unclear when the Patriots will interview O'Brien, who spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Alabama. The Patriots won't have to worry about clearance to interview O'Brien as his contract reportedly expired following Alabama's Sugar Bowl win.