Unsettling rumors concerning former New England Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels—including his jock strap, bizarre statements made by the quarterback, and the trading of a player due to wife jealousy—are starting to surface following his termination by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Some believe Josh McDaniels will be one of the coaches to will succeed Bill Belichick as the New England Patriots look toward an uncertain future that may not involve him. Some believe that McDaniels, who has six Super Bowl rings from his two stints on Belichick’s staff in Foxboro, will be the offensive coordinator on a “dream team” in 2024 that has Mike Vrabel as head coach and Jerod Mayo leading the defense.
The cautionary tales about hiring – or in New England’s case, re-hiring – McDaniels are spilling out from every dark corner.
With his departure, Raiders players are celebrating and saying they are no longer have to “walk on eggshells.” When McDaniels chose to start the former Patriots backup quarterback at quarterback in Week 7, it was said that he “lost” the Raiders’ locker room. Critics also point out that he chose Matt Eberflus, who is currently under fire in Chicago after leading the Bears to a 5-21 record in a season and a half, as his defensive coordinator while he was in Denver.
Chris Long and other former Patriots players who shared the victory with McDaniels are criticizing his strategies in Las Vegas.
Alleged accounts, however, that are mostly concerning McDaniels’ problematic DNA and have less to do with Xs and Os are also making their way public.
Former Broncos tight end and receiver Nate Jackson claims in a harsh piece that McDaniels:
*Had taken an unclean jock strap from Tom Brady’s locker and pocketed it. “The one he tossed to anyone who ever questioned his football acumen,” Jackson recalls. “He would say, smell it. Any inquiries?”
*After dismissing experienced quarterback Jay Cutler, Jackson says, he told the Broncos players, “Fellas, don’t worry about the quarterback situation. I can turn a high school quarterback into an All-Pro.”
The wildest story, though, comes from Jackson, who was cut by McDaniels following a six-year stint in Denver that saw him catch 27 receptions for two touchdowns. Jackson claims that the coach traded a player because his wife was drawn to him.
Jackson writes, “McDaniels’s fragile ego wasn’t limited to his time on the field. According to legend, McDaniels sent off running back Peyton Hillis because he believed his wife was drawn to Hillis.
Within Denver’s media circles, the aforementioned story has been discussed. However, that doesn’t lessen how amazing it is.
There may be some logic to McDaniels going back to Foxboro to coach quarterback Mac Jones. But his once-blinding brilliance has undoubtedly lost some of its luster.