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‘I would choose New England’: Dan Orlovsky ranks Patriots at the top of head coaching vacancies
"They've got the No. 4 pick. They've got $130 million in salary cap space."
The Patriots’ future with Drake Maye: After the conclusion of a 4-13 season on Sunday — which culminated with the team’s first-year head coach being fired despite winning a game against the AFC East-champion Bills — it’s probably hard for some Patriots fans to look at the current situation with too much optimism.
Yet that’s exactly what ESPN analysts are doing in terms of assessing the league’s current (or likely) coaching vacancies. During a Monday morning “Get Up!” segment, NFL analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky was asked if he would prefer the Patriots, Bears, Jaguars, or Jets openings were he a head coaching candidate.
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“I would choose New England,” Orlovsky began, “because of Drake Maye. I think the young man’s got the chance to be an absolute superstar. I think he’s got a chance to be Josh Allen.”
Maye, the Patriots’ rookie QB (selected third overall in 2024), has been a rare bright spot amid a tough season. The 22-year-old finished with 2,276 yards through the air while completing 66.6-percent of his passes. He totaled 15 passing touchdowns, and also rushed for 421 yards and a pair of scores.
More than stats, he showcased a level of talent and potential that has experts ranking the Patriots as a desirable landing spot even given the team’s current struggles. Orlovsky looked at the bigger picture, with New England holding the fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft.
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“They’ve got the No. 4 pick. They’ve got $130 million in salary cap space,” he explained, citing some possible offseason targets. “I can go get [free agent] Tee Higgins and draft [wide receiver] Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State, and all of a sudden we’ve got a really good, promising football team. I could [also] draft Will Campbell from LSU, and protect [Maye].”
“I think that this is the place that is going to be — for an offensive-minded head coach — if you are one, a [Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson, I think that’s the place that you desire to go to.”
Granted, the current leading candidate appears to be ex-Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, a defensive-minded coach. Still, a plethora of candidates are set to be interviewed, with several scenarios looming as possibilities.
Trivia: Who is the only other Patriots head coach (not interim coach) to be fired after a single season aside from Jerod Mayo?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: 1990.
Scores and schedules:
The Patriots closed out the 2024 season with a surprisingly poorly-received 23-16 win. The upset victory should have been a rare piece of good news in what has been a season to forget, but it inadvertently cost the team a chance at having the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Almost immediately after the game, the team announced that head coach Jerod Mayo had been fired.
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The Celtics lost to the Thunder, 105-92.
And the Bruins also lost on Sunday, falling 5-4 to the Islanders in overtime.
More from Boston.com:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes off against ice-cold Celtics, leads Thunder to 15th straight win: 8 takeaways
- Six takeaways as Patriots fumble No. 1 pick with win over Bills
- Bo Horvat scores his 2nd goal of the game in OT, lifts Islanders past Bruins 5-4
- Patriots fire head coach Jerod Mayo after 1 season
- Who will replace Jerod Mayo? 6 coaching candidates for Patriots.
- Rob Gronkowski blasts Patriots for ‘unfair’ Jerod Mayo firing
- Rob Gronkowski believes Vrabel, McDaniels could coach together with Patriots
- Here’s where the Patriots will now pick in 2025 NFL Draft
- Joe Milton III admitted to learning he would play vs. Bills ‘after the kickoff’ in Patriots’ win
- What Jayson Tatum said about his status after bruising fall
- As the Celtics continue to backslide, poor spacing made matchup with Thunder an ‘uphill’ battle
Team USA wins again: The U.S. won the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (repeating as champions) with a dramatic 4-3 overtime win over Finland. Boston College’s Teddy Stiga picked a golden opportunity to score his first goal of the tournament, converting on a breakaway to win it in a walk-off.
On this day: In 1994, Shane Stant assaulted figure skater (and Olympic medalist) Nancy Kerrigan after she had just finished a training session at a rink in Detroit.
Stant and Derrick Smith had been hired by Jeff Gillooly and Shawn Eckardt, who planned the attack. Gillooly, as the ex-husband of Kerrigan rival Tonya Harding, was attempting to have Kerrigan injured prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics, thus eliminating the competitition.
Eventually, after months of one of the more bizarre but high-profile sports scandals of its era, Gillooly and Eckardt both pleaded guilty to racketeering, with Stant and Smith pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree assault. Harding entered a plea of conspiracy to hinder the prosecution, eventually receiving a fine and community service.
Kerrigan was able to compete in the Lillehammer Games, winning a silver medal. Harding was somehow also allowed to compete, though she finished eighth (Ukrainian Oksana Baiul won gold).
Daily highlight: One of the better versions of the “highlight that wasn’t,” enjoy this incredible piece of skill from Joe Milton.
Trivia answer: Rod Rust
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