Image courtesy of The Jets Press
The Wes Welker-New England Patriots reunion isn’t happening, not for the foreseeable future anyways.
That’s because the next addition to the almost complete staff for Mike Vrabel is Todd Downing. Downing will be the Patriots’ wide receivers coach and was Vrabel’s offensive coordinator in 2021 and 2022.
Downing is only 44 years old, but has an extensive coaching resumé already.
After playing a little semi-pro ball from 2000-2002, Downing coached a JV team from 1999-2000 before making quite a leap to the NFL in 2005. The Vikings hired the Eden Prairie, MN native the role of offensive quality control coach. That turned into an extensive line of stops that include the St. Louis Rams (2006-2008) as a defensive assistant and a special teams assistant, the Detroit Lions (2009-2011) as an offensive quality control coach and an assistant QB coach. Stints as the Buffalo (2014) and (2015-2016) quarterbacks coach turned into an OC opportunity with the Raiders in 2017.
From 2018-2020 Downing was the tight ends coach for the Vikings and the Titans before calling plays in 2021 and 2022. The last two years, Downing has worked closely with Aaron Rodgers as the Jets’ quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
That means Drake Maye will be working closely with coaches who have worked extensively with Tom Brady (Josh McDaniels) and Aaron Rodgers, two of the three greatest quarterbacks of this generation (along with Peyton Manning). It’s a stark contrast to the room Mac Jones was sitting in a few years ago with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.
It seems like the Patriots are doing everything they can to surround Maye with plenty of resources off the field, now they just need to make sure they give him a few more on it.
Names like Welker, former Patriot Shawn Jefferson, old Pittsburgh nemesis Hines Ward and a few others had been thrown around when it comes to the wide receivers coaching position, but Vrabel continues to go with guys he knows, ideally building a staff with continuity heading into the thick of the offseason.