Why the Patriots' head-coaching job is the best one available this offseason

After the New England Patriots’ final game of the season, Drake Maye put on a hoodie and a jacket, said congratulations to Joe Milton on an impressive performance in a mostly meaningless game and headed out the door into an offseason when everything is about to change.

The Patriots are in the market for a new head coach and are kicking off their first true search in 25 years. A lot of times, a team looking for a third new coach in three years is a sign of a troubled job and a troubled franchise.

But largely because of Maye, the opposite is true. The Patriots have the most desirable head-coaching opening in the NFL.

They have four more years of Maye on a cost-controlled contract after his promising rookie season. They have the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They boast by far the most salary-cap space in the NFL. They have improving facilities with the construction of a new headquarters adjacent to Gillette Stadium set to open in 15 months. And they have an owner who is frustrated enough with recent results that he apologized to the fans Sunday night after firing Jerod Mayo an hour after the final whistle.

Yes, the Chicago Bears also have a promising quarterback, but their ownership and front office don’t come close to matching the stability the Patriots have had.

Yes, the New York Jets might be able to keep Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, but the issues with Woody Johnson’s franchise are well detailed and a reason they’ve won only six playoff games this century.

Yes, the New Orleans Saints have an owner who largely stays out of the football decisions, but they have some of the league’s tightest salary-cap constraints.

And, yes, other jobs will be open, too, potentially including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. Each of those could be enticing  for one reason or another and could make a case to be the “best job available.”

Statement from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft: https://t.co/2YgHtzzBHK pic.twitter.com/GMXGgd768x

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 5, 2025

But this year, it’s the Patriots job in a runaway.

Sure, the roster stinks. It’s among the worst in the league. But the Patriots’ new coach will be able to shape it however he wishes. There’s enough cap space to go get any free agent he wants. There’s sufficient draft capital to swing some big trades, including the No. 4 pick. At this point (assuming two quarterbacks and Travis Hunter go in the first three picks), the Patriots could have their choice of the best player at their three biggest positions of need — edge rusher, wide receiver and offensive tackle.

Those are the kinds of things that matter to a head coach in determining his next job. You don’t have to take our word for it. Here’s what Mike Vrabel, whom the Patriots are expected to pursue, said to Zack Rosenblatt about what he’s seeking.

“There’s got to be clear communication with ownership so that we understand as coaches what the expectations are,” Vrabel said. “And I would like to be able to say that there’s a quarterback that you feel like you can win with — or that there’s a path to find the one that you can win with.”

Even those most skeptical of owner Robert Kraft would admit the Patriots check both of those boxes. That’s part of why Vrabel was so quickly linked to the Patriots opening after the news Sunday night that they’d fired Mayo.

But beyond that, the Patriots should check a lot of boxes for any available coach.

That’s because the hardest thing to find in the NFL is a franchise quarterback to build around. The Patriots think they have that in Maye. His season-long numbers don’t jump off the page, but any observer this season could see the lack of talent he was working with and the plays he made that were botched by teammates (even if he wouldn’t say it).

Perhaps there’s something to be said, too, for being The Guy After The Guy. Whoever the next coach is won’t be replacing six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick, the impossibly large shoes Mayo was forced to fill. He’d be replacing a coach who went 4-13 in a one-and-done season with poor messaging and an undefined culture.

Keep in mind what Vrabel (of all people) said during his halftime address to fans during his Patriots Hall of Fame induction in 2023 — while he was still the head coach of the Tennessee Titans.

“I want you not to take this organization for granted,” he said. “I’ve been a lot of places. This is a special place with great leadership, great fans, great direction, great coaching. Enjoy it — it’s not like this everywhere.”

(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)