4 candidates who could replace Alex Van Pelt as the Patriots play-caller in 2025

There was a lot of hope during the 2024 offseason that the Patriots were going to put together the right staff to lead the team back to success after the previous three seasons were beyond disappointing. Skepticism of that coming to fruition after choosing to fire Bill Belichick was high, but it was clear the organization, including the players, was behind Jerod Mayo from day one.

Morale was clearly better than it had been, and it looked like things were on the right track, but it ultimately fell to the point that fans demanded the coaching staff be fired mid-season. Most of the blame has been put on the shoulders of Robert Kraft, as he was the one to put Mayo into a position that some believe he wasn't ready for, and he was the one who hired the staff around him for the season.

That's put a lot of fire under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who has had quite a roller coaster ride as the playcaller since the beginning of the season. There is an emphasis on how important his job is due to the impressive showing of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and many believe he is on pace to ruin what could be one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in a few years.

Because of that, fans are already floating names as potential replacements for Van Pelt in 2025, especially as the rumors about ownership not being too pleased with how this season has progressed.

4 candidates who could replace Alex Van Pelt as the Patriots play-caller in 2025

Brian Daboll

The current New York Giants head coach has been in the hot seat for most of the season, mainly due to the continuing struggles of (now former) starting quarterback Daniel Jones. That eventually led to Jones being benched, demanding his release, and being granted that request, which resulted in more chaos.

With the Giants now 2-10 heading into Week 13 and his seat only getting hotter, it's more likely than not that Daboll will be fired by season's end. If that's the case, the Patriots should strongly consider bringing their former longtime positions coach back to New England.

He was originally with the team from 2000-2006, working with the defense and the wide receivers. He then returned in 2013 as the tight ends coach until 2016. Two years later, he wound up with the Bills as the offensive coordinator and helped mold quarterback Josh Allen into the powerhouse he is today.

Because he put together a strong offense with a quarterback comparable to Drake Maye, it would be easy to decide to bring Daboll back to develop the Patriots' future franchise player. His familiarity with the organization is a key factor, too, making hiring him even more sensical.

Ben Johnson

Perhaps one of the most sought-after offensive coordinators over the past few years has been Lions' play-caller, Ben Johnson. He took over the role in 2022 and Detroit has been on their best run in decades with him on the sidelines.

Quarterback Jared Goff has never been better, and the offense has thrived to help make the Lions a leader in the NFC, making Johnson a prime head coaching candidate around the league. He turned down that idea last year, despite being favored to take over two teams, and returned to the Lions to continue what he started in 2018.

The idea that he would randomly decide to leave Detroit to take the same role in New England is certainly far-fetched and more unlikely to happen than anything else, but his name continues to float around as a great candidate to help Maye in his development.

That alone makes him desirable, and if there were a way to get him to Foxboro, the Patriots should definitely do it. Working with Maye might be a good starting point.

Nick Caley

Among the long list of candidates the Patriots interviewed for their offensive coordinator position this past offseason, one of the favorite options was Nick Caley, who worked for the team in various roles from 2015 to 2023.

Because Belichick decided to hire Bill O'Brien last year instead of Caley, he was hired by Sean McVay and the Rams and has been working as their tight ends coach and passing game coordinator since.

Because becoming an offensive coordinator would be a promotion for Caley, he could seriously consider returning to the Patriots if given the opportunity. He has previously had the support of some well-respected coaches on the staff, including the legendary Dante Scarnecchia, which definitely means something when we're talking about the potential of a young coaching candidate.

In addition, Caley has worked with several different parts of an offense, such as the passing and run game, quarterbacks, and tight ends. This invaluable experience would make him a well-rounded mind for working with a guy like Maye.

Josh McDaniels

This might be a wild choice, but it's hard to argue that Josh McDaniels wasn't a solid offensive coordinator during his time with the Patriots. There might have been things he needed to get better at, but that's easily fixable and doesn't negate how many championships he helped coach the team to during his tenure.

Since he was fired from his head coaching gig with the Raiders last year, he has remained out of the NFL, and not many updates have been released about his desire to get back into the league. He may reunite with Bill Belichick in 2025, assuming the head coach will get hired by a team next year. But bringing him back to Foxboro might not be a bad idea if he doesn't.

He's a trusted figure in the organization and, at one point, was believed to be Kraft's favorite to succeed Belichick eventually, and he proved he could work with a young quarterback by coaching Mac Jones to the best season of his short NFL career in 2021.

McDaniels could easily replicate that with Maye if he returned to New England.

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