Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Insider explains why Bill O'Brien to the Patriots 'isn't a done deal'

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 1/21/23

Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is the betting favorite to be the New England Patriots next offensive coordinator.

However, MMQB’s Albert Breer recently suggested that O’Brien has other desirable options to consider outside of New England, and that a reunion with Bill Belichick and the Patriots isn’t a certainty.

“I don’t think this thing is a slam dunk, there’s obviously, potentially some other opportunities for him out there — do the Tennessee Titans give him a call? They’ve obviously got an opening and they just wrapped up their general manager search,” Breer recently told NBC Sports Boston. “He’s also very close to Monti Ossenfort, the new GM in Arizona. So, could he get a head coaching interview in Arizona? All these things are things to consider.”

O’Brien has been out of the NFL since 2020 when he was fired as the head coach/general manager of the Houston Texans. Prior to that, he spent five seasons with the Patriots, serving as offensive coordinator in 2011.

That year, New England ranked second in total offense (428 yards per game) and third in scoring offense (32.1 points per game). Tom Brady threw for 5,235 yards (second-most of his career) and the Patriots had two 1,000-yard pass catchers — Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski.

Got a lot of ?s on the Bill O'Brien/Mac Jones connection. So here's the story ... when O'Brien was hired in 2021, Jones was around for parts of the run-up to the draft. They got to know each other. And Jones at one point helped O'Brien in learning elements of the Tide offense. https://t.co/h1lSEIognW
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 20, 2023

“He’s got background in the offense, I think the transition there would be seamless, he’s got some background — not a ton — but some background with Mac Jones,” Breer added. “It feels to me like this is all sort of set up to where if the Patriots wanted to close a deal quickly, they could.”

O’Brien, who interviewed with New England on Thursday, is one of five candidates for the Pats offensive coordinator role.

The Patriots have also interviewed or have interest in tight ends coach Nick Caley, Arizona Cardinals associate head coach/wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell, and Oregon associate head coach/offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, according to NESN.

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