Patriots to begin interviewing for offensive coordinator

The New England Patriots will begin interviewing candidates for their offensive coordinator role next week, the team announced in a statement obtained by Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

The Patriots didn't name an official offensive coordinator for the 2022 campaign, instead tasking assistant coach Matt Patricia with handling play-calling duties on that side of the ball. The 48-year-old had never called plays on offense before.

With Patricia calling plays, New England's offense ranked 17th in scoring and 26th in yardage. The Patriots also finished as the worst red-zone offense, converting just 19 of their 45 trips into touchdowns.

Patricia began his NFL coaching career as an offensive assistant with the Patriots in 2004. However, the majority of his tenure with the organization has come on defense. He spent time as linebackers coach and safeties coach before holding the defensive coordinator role from 2012-17. He then served three seasons as head coach of the Detroit Lions before returning to New England in 2021.

The Patriots also opened talks on a contract extension with linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, who's attracted both coordinating and head coaching interest around the league.

The Carolina Panthers reportedly requested to speak to Mayo for their head coaching vacancy, while the Cleveland Browns sought him for their defensive coordinator opening.