Alex Van Pelt was one of the last few offensive coordinator candidates the Patriots interviewed, but it still seems like it took some convincing to bring him in.
New England hired Josh McDaniels to replace Van Pelt after one season. The 54-year-old signed a multi-year contract so he’ll still be compensated until he finds a new team.
Coordinator contracts aren’t often disclosed, but when discussing what McDaniels could get paid, NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry revealed the numbers of Van Pelt’s contract.
“My understanding was Alex Van Pelt was a shade under $3 million this past year, which actually paid him near the top of the league in terms of offensive coordinator salaries,” Perry said on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” on Wednesday. “So, are they just going to carry that salary over and just give that to Josh McDaniels, and now he’s making up the difference with his head coaching salary in Vegas? It’ll be something along those lines.”
That’s telling intel from Perry. The fact that Van Pelt was one of the last coordinators the Patriots interviewed and they still needed to pay him — a first-time play-caller — near the top of other coordinators showed how desperate they were. New England reportedly also offered Nick Caley a hefty contract, but he chose to return to the Los Angeles Rams.
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The Patriots will have to forget about their losses and move on to a new era under Vrabel.
