Report: Nick Caley Was Offered Patriots Offensive Coordinator Job

According to a new report from Sports Illustrated, former New England Patriots tight ends coach Nick Caley was offered the team’s offensive coordinator position. However, Caley opted to remain with the Los Angeles Rams.

The report came from Albert Breer.

Breer stated, “Caley traveled to New England for a second interview with the Patriots, whom he worked for from 2015–22, over the weekend of the conference title games, and was offered the Patriots offensive coordinator job by his old staffmate Jerod Mayo. And he was offered it at a very competitive salary, which reflected the respect Mayo has for him.”

ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported on Caley back in January. He felt Caley appeared in a good position to land in New England.

“(Nick) Caley, the former longtime Patriots tight ends coach who interviewed for the team’s offensive coordinator job in 2022, is viewed by some close to the process as well-positioned to ultimately lead the offense.”

Return to L.A.

Ultimately, Caley chose to return to the Los Angeles Rams.

“It was tough to say no,” writes Breer. “But Caley had such a good experience last year with the Rams, that the idea of leaving was more difficult than turning down a coordinator job. So he stayed, and (Sean) McVay, as I’ve heard the story, was ecstatic that he did (and McVay showed that emphatically on the phone with Caley when he was told he was staying). In turn, the Rams have since made it worth his while by giving him the pass-game coordinator title that (Zak) Robinson left behind when he decided to go run his own offense in Atlanta under (Raheem) Morris.”

Nick Caley was the tight ends coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. He has now added pass-game coordinator to his resume. He was with the New England Patriots for eight seasons (2015-2022). So he did have familiarity with the franchise and the personnel. As Breer stated, Caley has also worked alongside Jerod Mayo.

Backup Plan, Again

This is the second report on the New England Patriots not getting their first choice for a coordinator this offseason. It was reported that Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams was offered that role in New England. However, he was offered to remain in Atlanta under new coach Raheem Morris and opted to stay.

If Nick Caley became the New England Patriots offensive coordinator their offensive coaching staff would likely look quite different. Jerod Mayo is certainly hoping that even if Alex Van Pelt and Jeremy Springer were not his first choices, they both prove to be the best people for their jobs.