Alex

Van Pelt

Van Pelt didn’t seem to get much credit for how Drake Maye played last year in New England, and Van Pelt’s offense in Cleveland certainly looks better in retrospect after the disastrous 2024 season the Browns had. He’ll look to get some McVay Magic coursing through his fingertips and prepare for the 2026 offensive coordinator carousel.

Fired by the Browns shortly after the Wild Card Round, Van Pelt had been Kevin Stefanski’s non-play calling OC for the entirety of Stefanski’s Cleveland tenure. The 53-year-old also served as the Bills’ coordinator for one season back in 2009. In addition to Stefanski, Van Pelt has extensive experience under Mike McCarthy. It’s an underwhelming hire, but it is better than what Bill Belichick mustered after losing Josh McDaniels. It’s hard to say much else until we know who will be under center for the Patriots in 2024.

Van Pelt was let go by the Browns at the end of the season but has a chance to land a gig with either the Buccaneers or Raiders, who interviewed him last week. In four seasons with the Browns, Van Pelt’s offense ranked 20th in EPA per play and shined brightest with Joe Flacco under center. A long-time coach, Van Pelt’s only other stop as an offensive coordinator came in 2009 with the Bills, who ranked 28th in points per game and 30th in yards per game that season.

Vegas is also interviewing former Bears OC Luke Getsy to run the offense. Van Pelt was surprisingly fired after the Browns offense caught fire with Joe Flacco under center over the regular season’s final month. Whoever lands the Raiders offensive coordinator job will probably be tasked with implementing a run-first offense under head coach Antonio Pierce.

The Browns have also parted ways with their tight ends and running backs coaches after losing to the Texans in the Super Wild Card round. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is primed to rebuild his offensive coaching staff headed into 2024 with Deshaun Watson presumably back under center for Cleveland. Van Pelt, 53, will likely land on another coaching staff after the Browns offense thrived with Joe Flacco at the helm over the final month and a half of the 2023 season.

The Browns, headed into their first playoff game since 2002, will be without their head coach. Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer will take over as acting head coach. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will call plays on Sunday against Pittsburgh. The team canceled practice last week after a member of its coaching staff, LB Malcolm Smith, TE Harrison Bryant, and CB Denzel Ward all tested positive for the virus. Stefanski missing this weekend’s playoff game is the most Browns development possible, and it puts the team at a considerable disadvantage as they prepare for the Steelers.

“That really remains to be seen,” Stefanski said, adding he plans to use the preseason to evaluate the decision. “I’d like to get everybody back in the building, get out there practicing and get together before we make that decision. That decision will be made before (Week 1), I promise you that.” It would be a load off Stefanski’s shoulders to delegate play-calling duties, but that is probably more responsibility than he will be willing to surrender as he looks to make his name as a head coach.

The Bengals’ QBs coach the past two seasons, Van Pelt hasn’t coordinated an offense since 2009 in Buffalo. He was an RBs coach from 2012-13 and had coached quarterbacks since. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports it is unclear if Van Pelt or new head coach Kevin Stefanski will call plays, but our money would be on Stefanski. Four months shy of his 50th birthday, Van Pelt kicked around as a backup quarterback from 1993-2003.

The Bills were scheduled to interview Greg Olson this week, but lost him to the Rams. Van Pelt has coached Green Bay’s quarterbacks the last three seasons and has ties to Buffalo, where he spent the majority of his career as a backup. He would be a risky fit under defensive-minded HC Sean McDermott. The Bills would have to wait until after the Packers are eliminated from the playoffs to hire Van Pelt.

The Bills’ search for a coordinator has gone nowhere so far, and it looks like Van Pelt is a dead end as well. After Greg Olson took a job with the Rams, the only real candidate right now is Panthers QBs coach Ken Dorsey, who was interviewed on Wednesday.