The Patriots have a surprisingly important game this Sunday, and it could be Alex Van Pelt’s last in New England.
If the season ended after Week 17, the Patriots would control the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. That doesn’t mean a win this Sunday would hinder their chances of getting the top selection. It just wouldn’t help.
Head coach Jerod Mayo made it clear this week that his team will compete to win. It will be a disappointing season no matter the result in Week 18, and there could be drama at One Patriot Place on the infamous “Black Monday” in the NFL. Van Pelt is the most popular speculated target to receive the axe from New England’s top brass, and it wouldn’t surprise the Patriots offensive coordinator.
“No, this is the business. We all signed up for this,” Van Pelt told reporters when asked if viewed his uncertain future as a distraction, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “When you win (three) games, it’s tough obviously. The thing I can hang my hat on is that this team has played hard and there’s not been any game where they have not put out their full efforts. That’s impressive. I’ve been around teams that were out of the playoffs and kind of just cruised to the end. We’re going to try to finish strong. We started fast — that was my message to them — with a win (this season); let’s finish strong with a win at home in front of our crowd.
“Whatever happens after that, we’ll see. I’d love to be back. I really like the organization. I like our guys. I think there’s stuff to build on there. But again, that’s out of my control.”
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Van Pelt confirmed New England does intend on playing Maye the entire game. The rookie quarterback was one of Van Pelt’s top supporters this season, which could factor into the Patriots’ decision to retain him or not.
Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
