Mills, 68, has enjoyed a longtime relationship with Francona. He worked on Francona's staffs in Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland going back to the 1990s. He spent most of that time as the bench coach. Mills got a two-plus year managerial run of his own with the Astros between 2010-12, though a rebuilding Houston team won only 38.4% of their games over his tenure.
When Ron Rivera took over as the head coach of the Washington Commanders in 2020, he brought long-time assistant Pete Hoener along with him to coach the tight ends. Hoener got an excellent year out of Logan Thomas. The following season, a promising young tight end named John Bates was ushered into the league. But Hoener was nearing 70 years old and ready for retirement.
"Javon Baker is making sure that he isn't easily forgotten after an underwhelming rookie year. His determination to prove every team that passed on him wrong is evident, showing that his opportunity to continue an NFL career might rest on whether he makes the Patriots roster for the 2025 season."