The New England Patriots will begin their search for a new offensive coordinator this week. After Matt Patricia and Joe Judge effectively shared offensive coordinator duties in 2022, the Patriots announced they'd be heading in a different direction in 2023. Already, one familiar face has emerged the leading candidate. The latest NFL rumors suggest that Bill O'Brien could return to the Patriots as the new OC, and early on is believed to be the organization's “primary target,” according to Tom Curran of NBC Sports.

Via Curran on NBC Sports:

“There is unanimity on all sides that O’Brien’s the best person for the job and — while there are other candidates with merit — the familiarity ownership and Mac Jones have with O’Brien and O’Brien’s willingness to return mean it would be an upset if he doesn’t get the job.”

If the Patriots do elect to bring O'Brien back to the fold in 2023, they'll have to figure out roles for Judge and Patricia. O'Brien has spent the last two seasons on Nick Saban's coaching staff in Alabama, serving as the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator.

The Patriots are hoping to get a bit more out of Mac Jones in 2023, and perhaps Bill Belichick feels the experienced O'Brien is the right man to do so after Judge and Patricia produced somewhat disappointing results.

In 2022, the Patriots missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record. Jones featured in 14 games, throwing 14 TDs, 11 interceptions, and completing 65.2 percent of his pass attempts. It was a disappointing second season for the former first-round pick, but hopefully they can get him back on track with O'Brien leading the charge in 2023.

It's unclear how many coaches the Patriots plan to interview for the role, but early on, it seems as if they're honing in on Bill O'Brien to take over as offensive coordinator.