On Thursday, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that the New England Patriots hired former Cleveland Browns' offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt as the team's new offensive coordinator under the first-year Patriots' head coach Jerod Mayo.
New England is improving Jerod Mayo's coaching staff after failing to reach the NFL Playoffs in 2023-2024.
According to Pelissero, the Patriots have officially hired Van Pelt to be their next offensive coordinator. Van Pelt was a respected assistant coach and a veteran quarterback who just finished a four-year run as the Browns' OC.
Van Pelt hopes to help New England's offense get back on track. The Patriots' season ended with a 4-13 record, leading to longtime head coach Bill Belichick firing. The former offensive coordinator, Bill O'Brien, left shortly afterward to join the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Although Van Pelt has difficult tasks ahead of him, the Patriots have the resources to create a productive offense. Mac Jones, the team's third-year quarterback, has the chance to improve as the team's offensive lead.
The 25-year-old quarterback passed for 2,120 yards, 10 touchdowns, and a QBR of 36.6 during the regular season. In his fourth season with New England, Van Pelt might be able to assist in elevating the young QB to a new level.
The Patriots, who own the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, may also take a different approach at quarterback. Nevertheless, Van Pelt has an exciting chance to work with Mayo and help New England become competitive again.
Van Pelt Fired as Browns' OC
As the offensive coordinator, Van Pelt most recently worked under head coach Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland for the past four seasons. He was fired in mid-January after the Browns playoff loss to the Houston Texans during Super Wild Card Weekend, in which the offense scored 14 points and was shut out in the second half.
Van Pelt was able to guide the Browns offense through a challenging season even though he completely lost his job. The team started five quarterbacks, dealing with critical injuries to running back Nick Chubb and several starting offensive tackles, including Jedrick Wills Jr.
The Browns rediscovered their rhythm in the latter stages of the season, with Joe Flacco starting at quarterback and winning four of the final five games. The offense averaged 27.1 points per game (including playoffs), with Flacco under center.
Throughout the season, the team ranked 29th in the league on third down, averaged 22.8 points per game, and gained 4.8 yards per play.
Furthermore, he played quarterback in the NFL for ten years. After being released by Pittsburgh during training camp, he spent his first season with the Chiefs. The Steelers selected him in the eighth round in 1993. He then became a fixture on the field, playing with the Buffalo Bills from 1994 to 2003.
When his playing career ended, Van Pelt returned to the NFL as a coach, starting with the Bills and working his way up to become the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2009.
After that, he played with the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before signing with the Browns.
