Josh McDaniels did the right thing staying in New England. I know the narrative both locally and nationally is that McDaniels is a snake but that is unfair label because those that know McDaniels and work with him closely have nothing but good things to say about him. That being said, I don’t blame the Colts and their fans for feeling jilted.
It is understandable if the Colts are jaded after McDaniels left them at the alter. I would be angry too if I were Colts owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard. McDaniels pledged his commitment to them and ended up screwing them over last minute.
McDaniels labored over this decision but in the end, he did what was best for him, his family and his coaching future. McDaniels and his wife wanted to stay in New England and it is obvious that the Patriots wanted him to stay too because Robert Kraft reportedly sweetened the pot for him financially to stay.
Of course McDaniels staying is not just related to family stability or more money. McDaniels had to have been given assurances that he will be the next coach of the Patriots otherwise he doesn’t walk away from the Colts job.
Don’t get me wrong. The way McDaniels handled the whole situation with the Colts was unprofessional and it will affect his reputation around the league. However, it is hard to hold it against him because he did what was best for him and his family. Sure, the communication could have been better but in the end, he didn’t want to go to Indianapolis.
I don’t feel bad for Jim Irsay and the Colts. Irsay’s father moved the team out of Baltimore in the middle of the night 34 years ago. The Colts also accused the Patriots of deflating footballs and started the whole deflate gate saga. The fact that McDaniels wanted to work for them is more concerning to me than him blowing them off.
In the end, all that matters is that McDaniels is back in New England and that is a relief to Patriots fans and the organization alike. Now we have an idea of what direction this organization will go in, in 2018 and beyond.