The New England Patriots are entering familiar territory for the second time in four seasons.
They’ll have the task of developing a rookie quarterback, as they continue their search for a sustainable franchise option in the post-Tom Brady era.
They tried with Mac Jones in 2021. Now, they’ll try again with Drake Maye.
The Patriots failed to develop Jones, despite him having a strong rookie season under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. And then disaster struck after McDaniels left for a head coaching job in Las Vegas.
Things spiraled out of control with Matt Patricia and Bill O’Brien taking over the offensive play-calling duties in 2022 in 2023. Jones may not have been the most talented quarterback, but New England failed him in the developmental process.
Three offensive coordinators in three years is not a recipe for success for a young quarterback. It was a recipe for disaster.
The new Patriots regime could learn something from the Jones experiment, as they continue working with Maye. His development will largely rely on the skill set of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
The former Cleveland Browns offensive coach has done extensive work with quarterbacks throughout his coaching career, dating back to his time with the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2005.
Van Pelt will reportedly be the guy overseeing Maye’s development. The two have been working together since the 2024 NFL draft.
This offense might be more friendly to a rookie quarterback than McDaniels’ was. Van Pelt has stated that he wants to run the football, and his track record proves that. 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth pointed out that the Browns had the second-most rushing attempts in the league with 30.3 per game during Van Pelt’s tenure with the team.
The Patriots have a relatively strong backfield, headlined by Rhamondre Stevenson and a new weapon in Antonio Gibson. If Van Pelt wants to run the football, he has the weapons to do so.
New England also does not seem like they are in a rush to start Maye. Van Pelt has stated that Jacoby Brissett would be the Week 1 starter if the season started today. Not starting Maye right out of the gates will allow more time for the rookie to learn under Van Pelt and the other coaches.
Again, the key word here is development. Learning from Van Pelt as much as possible before his first start could only help him.
Are things going to be completely perfect in Van Pelt’s first year? No. However, the blueprint is set in place. Running the football is a good place to start while the offense gets settled. Having a bona fide quarterbacks coach who has been there and done it before is also a plus.
Several measures are being taken to make sure Maye gets the development he needs, and Van Pelt is a massive part of that. How he does in his first season as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator could set the tone for the team’s future.