New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is not about to spark any rumors in regard to potential offensive coordinator candidates.
The Patriots have struggled on offense, even with a strong performance against the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday. Bill O’Brien’s name has floated around as a potential replacement for Matt Patricia considering his work as an assistant for the Patriots from 2007-2011.
He has most recently worked for the Alabama Crimson Tide, serving as their offensive coordinator since the 2021 season, after being fired as head coach of the Houston Texans. During his time in New England, he served as an offensive assistant, wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.
Despite the swirling rumors of an NFL return for O’Brien, Belichick claimed he hasn’t checked in with O’Brien and offered no comment on the situation during an appearance on The Greg Hill show on Monday.
“I haven’t talked to Bill in a little while,” said Belichick. “So, I don’t know, I wouldn’t really want to comment on his situation. I think that’s something for him to comment on.”
It remains to be seen if the Patriots will hire an offensive coordinator for 2023. It will be intriguing to see if O’Brien’s name comes up again, if the Patriots decide to make an official hire for the role.