New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has already met with quarterback Mac Jones and wide receiver Demario “Pop” Douglas since being hired by the team.
Van Pelt is working with the rest of the coaching staff to get up to speed with the current roster and help with future roster-building decisions. There have been reports that Jones is likely out of New England in 2024, but Van Pelt didn’t completely write the struggling quarterback off at Wednesday’s introductory press conference.
In fact, the newly-hired offensive coordinator claimed “everything is on the table,” when asked about the chances of Jones starting for the team next season.
“Right now, everything is on the table,” said Van Pelt.
"Right now, everything is on the table."
Alex Van Pelt isn't ruling out that Mac Jones is New England's starter this coming season. Says the coaching staff is in the process of evaluating what they have on the roster right now.
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) February 21, 2024
The Patriots should have opportunities in free agency to go after a veteran quarterback. They’ll also have the option of taking one in the 2024 NFL draft. New England currently has the No. 3 overall pick, which puts them in reach of one of the top-three options on the board—Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
But it also isn’t out of the realm of possibility that the Patriots use their first-round pick to improve at wide receiver or the offensive line. If that’s the plan, they could save assets and money keeping either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe as the starter.
