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.
He reemerged in the NFL, as he served as the head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014-2020. He even took on a general manager role for the organization in 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. There was a recent report that indicated 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 seen who New England ultimately chooses for the job. Nevertheless, O’Brien seems to be one of the more popular names to supplant Matt Patricia.
