Report: Josh McDaniels May Turn Down Colts HC Job, Stay with Patriots

Josh McDaniels might not become the Indianapolis Colts' next head coach after all.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported there is "increasing chatter" McDaniels will stay with the New England Patriots despite nearly a month of reports linking him to Indianapolis.

After the Patriots' 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52, McDaniels said he would not talk about the rumors, per Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston.

McDaniels has not told the Patriots he's leaving the team. Florio's report speculates the Patriots offensive coordinator could stick around under some sort of agreement he would be Bill Belichick's replacement—either now or at some undetermined point in the future.

Belichick's relationship with Tom Brady has been the subject of reports in recent weeks, most notably a Seth Wickersham report on ESPN.com that highlighted a power struggle. ESPN's Dianna Russini reported Sunday's Super Bowl matchup could be the final game for both Belichick and Brady.

That would be a major surprise for Brady, who has consistently said he wants to continue playing into his 40s. Belichick, in his typical fashion, has not commented on his future, but he's widely expected to return in 2018.

McDaniels has been New England's offensive coordinator since 2012, his second tenure with the franchise. He has passed up multiple head coaching opportunities in recent seasons, so this would be somewhat par for the course.

However, this is the deepest McDaniels has gotten in the process.