Unlike last year, the New England Patriots are casting a pretty wide net in searching for their new offensive coordinator for the 2023 season.
On Friday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Patriots wrapped up interviewing Arizona Cardinals wide receivers coach and associated head coach Shawn Jefferson for their vacancy. Per the report, he is the fifth candidate for the job that the Patriots have interviewed.
Jefferson, who once played for the Patriots in the 1990s, has over 15 years of coaching experience, though most of that experience comes as a positional coach. He has never held the role of full offensive coordinator.
But NFL fans aren’t convinced that their ongoing coordinator search is legitimate. Many believe that the Patriots are only giving lip service to the NFL’s Rooney Rule before ultimately hiring Bill O’Brien back with the team.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has a habit of consistently promoting people he’s already worked with rather than hiring more experienced people to fill the same roles. That’s part of the reason the Patriots had the defensive-minded Matt Patricia as their offensive playcaller in 2022 in the first place.
It’s certainly good for Shawn Jefferson that he’s at least getting the opportunity to interview for a position as big as this one. But he is a longshot to get the job.
Maybe Bill Belichick will surprise us though.
Do you think Jefferson will be the next offensive coordinator of the Patriots?