The New England Patriots hired Alex Van Pelt as their next offensive coordinator, but he apparently wasn’t their top choice. A new report reveals the Patriots were first rejected by an old friend who preferred to stay in Southern California.
Patriots Were Reportedly Turned Down by OC Candidate
New England head coach Jerod Mayo interviewed several coaches for the franchise’s offensive coordinator vacancy. The group included Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley, who held the same job with the Patriots from 2017 through 2022.
Caley twice was passed over when there were OC vacancies in New England: first in 2022, when Matt Patricia was tabbed offensive play-caller, and again in 2023 when the OC job went to Bill O’Brien.
Mayo, however, offered Caley the Patriots’ OC job last month, according to a Tuesday report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. But Caley declined.
“Caley traveled to New England for a second interview with the Patriots … over the weekend of the conference title games, and was offered the Patriots offensive coordinator job by his old staffmate Jerod Mayo,” Breer wrote.
“And he was offered it at a very competitive salary, which reflected the respect Mayo has for him.
“It was tough to say no. But Caley had such a good experience last year with the Rams, that the idea of leaving was more difficult than turning down a coordinator job. So he stayed, and McVay, as I’ve heard the story, was ecstatic that he did (and McVay showed that emphatically on the phone with Caley when he was told he was staying).”
đź“‹đź“‹ 2.27 Combine Notes đź“‹đź“‹
📝 The @ChicagoBears’ next steps.
đź“ť The @RamsNFL big coaching win.
📝 The @seniorbowl’s growth.
📝 L’Jarius Sneed and the @Chiefs.
đź“ť@Patriots scouting shift
đź“ť MORE!!https://t.co/JV2792BQFu— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) February 28, 2024
Breer added that the Rams rewarded Caley’s loyalty by giving him the title of pass game coordinator, a role previously held by Zac Robinson, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
Another Bad Look for New England
The hits just keep coming for the Patriots.
Multiple offseason reports indicate some of the Patriots’ job openings weren’t looked upon favorably by coaching candidates. The franchise is staring at a likely rebuild, it doesn’t have a franchise quarterback (yet), and its young head coach is unproven.
And then there was Wednesday’s NFLPA report card, which cast the Patriots in a terrible light. But not all hope is lost.
KEEP READING: How Patriots, Jerod Mayo Set New Standard While Introducing Coaching Staff
The Patriots reportedly are committed to selecting a quarterback early in the 2024 NFL Draft, and their new regime is intent on improving the franchise’s public image.
Still, New England couldn’t even convince a career tight ends coach to accept its offensive coordinator job at a high salary. You can’t put a positive spin on that.
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