Nick Caley Turned Down Patriots' Job: Van Pelt New England's Second Choice?

While the New England Patriots ended up hiring Alex Van Pelt as their offensive coordinator, he may not have been their first choice.

The New England Patriots have their offensive coordinator in Alex Van Pelt. But according to a new report, the former Cleveland Browns coordinator may not have been Jerod Mayo's first choice. 

Per a report from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, not only were the Patriots seriously interested in current Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley, but they had even offered him the job as offensive coordinator following their second interview.

"Caley traveled to New England for a second interview with the Patriots ... and was offered the Patriots offensive coordinator job by his old staffmate Jerod Mayo," Breer writes. "And he was offered it at a very competitive salary, which reflected the respect Mayo has for him.

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"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)."

So, how did the Rams convince the 41-year-old to turn down a job promotion? As Breer would explain, with former Rams defensive coordinator and now Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris poaching Zac Robinson off their staff to be his offensive coordinator, the title of passing game coordinator was given to Caley. 

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If Caley did take the job with the Patriots, it would've marked his second stint in Foxboro, as before joining the Rams last offseason, he spent eight seasons in Foxboro working under then-legendary coach Bill Belichick. After starting in 2015 as an offensive assistant in New England, Caley worked his way up the ladder, coaching tight ends from 2017 to 2022. 

Now, he'll look to become the next branch on the McVay coaching tree, while the Patriots will hope Van Pelt is the one to get their offense back on track.

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