Kelly and Vrabel also have history. They both served as members of Bill O’Brien’s staff with the Houston Texans. Kelly rose up the ranks to offensive coordinator there and survived O’Brien’s firing but not David Culley’s a year later. Vrabel hired him in Tennessee, where he served as passing game coordinator in 2022 and OC in 2023.

Another reported candidate, Browns tight ends coach/pass game specialist Tommy Rees, looks to be off the board. Cleveland promoted Rees to offensive coordinator Tuesday afternoon, following his first and only season with the organization. Vrabel worked with Rees last year, when he served in a hybrid coach/consultant role for the Browns.

Our look at some of the likely candidates to become the Patriots' next offensive and defensive coordinators includes familiar faces.

The roster rebuild appears it will be handled in tandem with general manager Eliot Wolf who managed to stay on the disappointment of 2024.

The New England Patriots are swapping one of their former linebackers for another, as the franchise announced on Sunday that they had agreed to terms with Mike Vrabel to be the Patriots' 16th head coach.

After a brief stint as the Denver Broncos head coach (2009-10) and St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator (2011), he returned to New England to run the offense from 2012-21. McDaniels got his second shot at being a head coach in 2022 with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he flamed out quickly and was fired in 2023. Since then, he's been out of coaching.

Newly hired New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is still figuring out his coaching staff, but he confirmed that a familiar face is

ESPN’s Adam Schefter told the WEEI Afternoon Show on Wednesday that former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is a “completely logical” choice for Mike Vrabel as his offensive coordinator in 2025.

Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel were together on what came close to being regarded as the NFL's best team of all-time.