McDaniels is expected to garner a lot of interest from teams with head coach vacancies this offseason. He can interview with teams because the Patriots will have a bye week as they await an opponent from the Wildcard round on the AFC side of the playoffs.
McDaniels moving into a head coaching role could take some time because the Patriots are favorites on the AFC side to reach the Super Bowl, which means that he would be unable to begin assembling his staff until after New England is done with postseason play. That late start may concern some teams, but McDaniels' name has been mentioned as a hot commodity over the past few years and he is expected to accept a head coach job this year.
McDaniels has head coaching experience having served in the role with the Denver Broncos from 2009 until 2010. He has had two stints with the Patriots as their offensive coordinator. The first was from 2006 until 2008. The second was after the Patriots hired McDaniels to act as an offensive assistant during their 2011 season playoff run. He replaced offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien in 2012 and has been with the Patriots since.
Prior to that, McDaniels was the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams in 2011.
Update:
Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that McDaniels' interviews with the 49ers, Rams, and Jaguars will take place on Saturday.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers' Kyle Juszczyk urges DeForest Buckner to 'come home'
The Indianapolis Colts' record fell to 2-4 on Sunday after a 26-20 loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, and veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is growing increasingly frustrated with the team's struggles. Following the loss, Buckner made his frustration... -
49ers Must Fix Discipline Issues During Bye Week
Even after a deflating loss, the Niners head into their bye week at 6-1, a record any team would be very happy about. Against the Atlanta Falcons, they missed their top four receivers and lost running back Christian McCaffrey for stretches of the game, so heading into the break... -
49ers get positive injury update on Christian McCaffrey after loss to Falcons
The San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the 2026 season on Sunday, falling 29-20 to the Atlanta Falcons on the road and dropping to 6-1. However, there was some positive news following the Week 7 loss, as the 49ers appeared to avoid any significant new... -
49ers may discuss kicker situation after struggles
Saying kicker Eddy Piñeiro is struggling in his second season with the San Francisco 49ers would be an understatement. Entering Week 7's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the veteran had already missed three field goals and three extra points. Piñeiro missed...