The New England Patriots rounded out their top priorities of coaching hires under Jerod Mayo on Thursday with Alex Van Pelt being named the team’s offensive coordinator.
Van Pelt had the same position for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, most recently guiding a productive group in a season where the team had five different quarterbacks running the offense. Notably, the Browns posted 30 or more points in three of their final five games with veteran passer Joe Flacco.
While he may not currently be under contract with the Patriots, pending New England free agent linebacker Mack Wilson took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to react to the hire.
“AVP,” Wilson posted with the eyes emojis.
The 25-year-old linebacker seems intrigued by the hiring, given that Wilson spent two seasons with Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator with the Browns, including a playoff appearance and a dominant 48-37 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2020 AFC Wild Card round.
Wilson helped elevate a resilient Patriots defense down the stretch of the 2023 season. Should he return to New England, the offense could look very different with a new coordinator.
Wilson’s future will be determined this offseason while Van Pelt begins the task of transforming a Patriots offense in desperate need of a makeover.
