When Jerod Mayo was fired earlier this month, there was a lot of talk about who might stay from his staff with the new head coach, with most believing there was a real scenario of an entire clean-out of personnel.
There was some debate about whether offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt would be one to stick around but in a different role, mostly due to his connection with quarterback Drake Maye, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards for the 2025 season.
Instead, MassLive's Mark Daniels and Chris Mason have reported that Van Pelt will not be returning to the Patriots in any role, as the offensive staff is expected to undergo an "overhaul." Although that isn't new when a head coach is hired, the prioritization of Maye felt like it provided a sliver of a chance for Van Pelt to stay in Foxboro, but he will be looking for a job elsewhere this offseason.
It probably wasn't the easiest decision, given how highly regarded the playcaller was during his stint in New England. It was well documented throughout the season how many players, including Maye, emphasized their appreciation of Van Pelt and hoped to see him stick around.
That makes the decision to move on from him a bit more risky, and they'll have to hope it doesn't come back to haunt them.
Alex Van Pelt's departure might be warranted, but it could make a big impact on Drake Maye's development
The new face of the New England Patriots organization is also expected to be the focus of the offseason for many reasons, starting with who Robert Kraft felt was best to bring in as the next head coach. He clearly prioritized culture and experience by hiring Mike Vrabel, and that can also be said about Josh McDaniels' return as the OC.
The stability in those two roles will inevitably be a huge relief for the young quarterback and his development, especially since he will be the official starter in Week 1 for the 2025 season.
But there is an argument to be made that perhaps he played as well as he did from Week 6 and on during this last season because of the work he did with Van Pelt, which won't be available to him next season. Maye almost said as much when speaking about their relationship at the end of the year, making retaining him for another year in a different role that much more appealing.
There was talk of moving him to quarterbacks coach so he could still work with Maye, but that ship has sailed.
There is also an argument to be made that Van Pelt is receiving too much credit for how well Maye played as a rookie. In some pre-draft analysis, he was considered the second-best quarterback of the 2024 class, only behind Bears' Caleb Williams. So, was there really a lot of work needed to get him NFL ready?
We'll probably never know, and hopefully, Maye won't suffer a massive shift in production in Van Pelt's absence. He should be in great hands working with McDaniels, as we have seen him be one of the all-time greats in his role, so seeing what he can do with a guy like Maye is going to be fun to watch.