It appears former Lions head coach Matt Patricia’s reign as the offensive leader of the New England Patriots is now over. The Patriots have hired former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien as their new offensive coordinator, a role Patricia held in a de facto role in 2022.
While no official word has come about Patricia’s fate, hiring O’Brien to the OC job can only be seen as bad news for Detroit’s head man from 2018-2020. New England’s offense sputtered with Patricia in charge as a senior offensive assistant, notably finishing dead last in the red zone and near the bottom in yards per game and third-down conversions.
One note that might’ve tipped the scales further against Patricia: He is no longer being paid by the Lions. Patricia’s five-year contract from Detroit is now expired, so the Patriots would bear the burden of paying Patricia all on their own.