Former New England Patriots linebacker and current NFL analyst Ted Johnson initially wanted Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly over Josh McDaniels as the Patriots offensive coordinator.
Kelly is coming off a national championship win with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Johnson believed that a coach like Kelly could have helped develop Drake Maye, who is set to enter a pivotal second season with the Patriots. He thinks Kelly’s background as a college coach would have been an important factor.
“When you talk about all the different styles of quarterbacks — there’s no more pocket quarterbacks,” said Johnson, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell. “The best quarterbacks in the league right now are guys that are mobile, can move on the run, and you can create creative plays and game plans around because of their athletic ability.
“You mentioned Chip Kelly; to me, he’s a better option and I’d feel more comfortable with him being here than I would with Josh McDaniels.”
Along with serving as the offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes, Kelly had two major head coaching job stints with Oregon and UCLA. He’s an experienced college coach who would have been a unique option for the Patriots.
But they ultimately decided to go the familiar path with McDaniels coaching the offense.
