Josh McDaniels Following Bill Belichick to Falcons? 'Do Not Be Surprised'

If the Atlanta Falcons hire Bill Belichick as their next head coach, it's possible Josh McDaniels follows as offensive coordinator.

As Bill Belichick continues to be one of the frontrunners for the Atlanta Falcons' head coaching vacancy, his potential staff is starting to take shape.

Belichick interview with the Falcons for the second time Friday, this time meeting Atlanta's entire advisory committee, including CEO Rich McKay and general manager Terry Fontenot.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank previously met one-on-one with Belichick on Monday. Atlanta's the only team Belichick's interviewed with thus far.

The Falcons have interviewed 12 candidates thus far, conducting an extensive search, but Belichick has been the most commonly connected candidate.

Now, a key part of Belichick's potential Atlanta tenure has emerged - the question surrounding his offensive coordinator selection as the Falcons seek to turn around a unit that failed to score 30 points in a game this past season.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Belichick could look to reunite with fired Las Vegas Raiders coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in Atlanta.

"Belichick of course has interest there," Rapoport said. "And do not be surprised if Josh McDaniels ends up landing with Belichick if he goes to Atlanta."

Jan 4, 2020; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels on the field before their playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium / Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

McDaniels had two different stints as Belichick's offensive coordinator in New England, first from 2006-2008 again from 2012-2021.

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The 47-year-old produced top-10 scoring offenses in all but one of his 13 seasons with the Patriots, the lone omission coming with Cam Newton under center in 2020.

McDaniels spent 11 of those 13 seasons with Tom Brady, but proved his offense could succeed with another option as Mac Jones made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021 while New England finished No. 6 in scoring behind a potent rushing attack.

With the Raiders, McDaniels' offense ranked No. 12 in both yards and points in 2022 but regressed this season with Jimmy Garoppolo as his primary starter, slotting at No. 27 and No. 23 in the two categories, respectively.

In Atlanta, McDaniels would likely be tasked with finding, implementing and developing a new signal caller, as the Falcons' quarterbacks room currently includes Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke and Logan Woodside, none of whom project as starters moving forward.

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But of course, Atlanta first has to complete its head coaching search and opt to hire Belichick for McDaniels to be in play - and there remains no timetable for Blank's decision.