Recently-hired New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt could bring in a resurgent Pro Bowl quarterback in Baker Mayfield.
The two worked together with the Cleveland Browns in 2020 and 20201, and SB Nation Pats Pulpit writer Bernd Buchmasser anticipates a potential reunion in Foxborough. Mayfield turned in a career year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 2023, and he be sought after in free agency.
“Mayfield staying in Tampa Bay seems likely after what was a bounce-back season for him in 2023. However, if the Patriots want to bring him aboard they would have the resources to do so and now an offensive coordinator who has experience with him,” Buchmasser wrote.
“While the Browns decided to ship him off when Deshaun Watson became available, he did play some solid football under Van Pelt in 2020 and 2021,” Buchmasser added. “Starting 32 combined regular season and playoff games, he completed 602 of 975 passes [61.7%] for 7,040 yards with 47 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.”
Mayfield only improved on those numbers in 2023 as he completed 64.3% of his passes for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions. He led the Buccaneers to the NFC Divisional Round, and he did that once before with the Browns in the AFC playoffs for the 2020 season.
Tampa Bay made it a little harder for teams to lure Mayfield away with the recent hire of offensive coordinator Liam Coen. They worked together with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
“Great guy,” Mayfield told reporters regarding Coen on Friday. “If they lock that down for sure, it’s a similar system. Obviously, same system. Just some different terminology in how he wants to call things. There’s something to say about that continuity in the offense for the skill guys, the offensive line … it’s important to have.”
