Just two weeks prior, the Los Angeles Rams

Just two weeks prior, Nick Caley, the coach of the Los Angeles Rams’ tight ends, was the overwhelming favorite to take Bill O’Brien’s place as the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator.

However, the organization eliminated any chance of a reunion between New England and Caley, its former tight ends and fullbacks coach, by hiring Alex Van Pelt for the role four days ago.

While it appeared like Caley would eventually join the Patriots, Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal said that the organization decided against hiring Caley for the same reason that many other teams apparently decided against hiring Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, as head coach.

“Nick Caley seemed to be the front-runner for a while, but everyone else had options,” Bedard writes. Did he want excessive compensation—even more than Bill O’Brien made—in order to quit Sean McVay’s employees and L.A., where his family was living happily ever after? That was the Senior Bowl’s prevailing rumor.

Although Caley hasn’t interviewed with any other teams this year, it’s said that teams other than the Patriots that were looking for an offensive coordinator were interested in speaking with him. He even had interviews with the New York Jets and Houston Texans the previous season.

Before joining the Rams last season, he had previously spent eight seasons with the Patriots, first as an offensive assistant from 2015 to 22 and then as the tight ends coach and fullbacks coach.

Given that Zac Robinson, the former quarterbacks coach and pass-game coordinator, is currently Raheem Morris’ offensive coordinator and the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, Caley may receive increased responsibilities in the Rams offense and even be elevated to Robinson’s previous role.