Will Bill O'Brien's return to Patriots prompt a Tom Brady reunion in New England?

The New England Patriots have officially announced that they have hired Bill O'Brien to take over as their offensive coordinator for the upcoming 2023 NFL season. He will replace the strange committee approach to the offensive coordinator that head coach Bill Belichick chose to implement during the 2022 NFL season.

Former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia called offensive plays in the Patriots' unusual offensive structure. In 2022, the Patriots finished in the bottom ten of the NFL in terms of yards per game and points per game. Change was clearly required, so they decided to make a significant move early in the 2023 NFL offseason.

News of Bill O'Brien's return to the Patriots has sparked NFL rumors of another big name potentially returning to New England. This is, of course, Tom Brady. While Bill O'Brien was with the Patriots from 2007 to 2011, Brady was his starting quarterback. A possible reunion could occur for the upcoming 2023 NFL season.

Tom Brady is currently on his way to becoming a free agent during the 2023 offseason after his contract expired with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season. All options appear to be on the table for Brady, including switching teams.

Tom Brady has endured a frustrating 2022 NFL season, recording a losing record for the first time in his career and being dominated by the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs. If he decides to avoid retirement and chooses to play another year, he will likely sign with any team he believes gives him the best chance of winning an eighth Super Bowl ring.

Brady may feel that a return to the team that helped him reign supreme over the entire NFL for two decades gives him his best opportunity to win going forward. It's also possible the Patriots could be in the market for a quarterback this year after Mac Jones showed serious signs of regression. He's gone backward since his rookie season and that may potentially be unacceptable given Bill Belichick's high standards.

With Brady and Belichick each nearing the back end of their legendary careers, they have no time to waste if they want to win more rings. A reunion may be their best path to do so. Hiring Bill O'Brien may be a step in that direction as it could possibly entice Brady to come back. During the five years Bill O'Brien spent with the Patriots, Tom Brady won two NFL MVP awards and made two Super Bowl appearances.

Where has Bill O'Brien coached since leaving the New England Patriots in 2012?

Houston Texans HC Bill O'Brien

Bill O'Brien departed from the New England Patriots following the 2011 NFL season. He accepted the head coaching job for the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2012, where he spent two college football seasons.

O'Brien then returned to the NFL in 2014 to serve as the head coach for the Houston Texans. He remained in this position until being let go following the 2020 NFL season. He then joined the Alabama Crimson Tide as the offensive coordinator for Nick Saban. He spent two seasons with the program before being hired to return to the Patriots as Bill Belichick's offensive coordinator.