Josh McDaniels and Derek Meyer have proven to be a productive partnership for the New England Patriots.
McDaniels returns to the Patriots for a third time as offensive coordinator and led Meyer to MVP heights in his second season. Meyer has a 113.5 quarterback rating for the Patriots, who are 14-3 and will host the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday night.
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Ahead of the AFC Championship game, ESPN’s Mike Reiss took a look at the relationship between McDaniels and Meyer. The two bonded over pickleball and then spearheaded one of the NFL’s most prolific offenses in 2025.
McDaniels believes Meyer’s growth mindset helped him quickly develop into a star quarterback.
“What impresses and excites me the most is how much he has grown from experiences, good and bad,” McDaniels said. “I don’t know what else you can ask of a player. Some guys take longer than others to digest a mistake and learn from it and capitalize on it. Man, he’s done a really good job at that.”
To that point, Meyer appreciates the competitive practice environment McDaniels has created.
“He takes practice really seriously, and I think that’s one of the greatest things about him,” Meyer said. “He really cares about practice and making sure it’s done right.”
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Meanwhile, backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs explained why Meyer and McDaniels work so well together.
“You have a veteran coach who’s done this at the highest level and he’s watched (Tom Brady) evolve and become the greatest coach of all time,” Dobbs said. “You’ve got a curious, wide-eyed young player who’s very talented at football, and you’re not winning a lot during the year, so you think, ‘I’ll do anything if it means we’re going to be good.'” I think it’s a good combination. “
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