New Patriots OC Alex Van Pelt on Mac Jones, QB situation: 'Right now, everything is on the table'

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has been given a new responsibility by his new employer: call plays.

It shouldn't sound daunting to an OC, but after spending the last four seasons working under Kevin Stefanski -- the play-calling head coach in Cleveland -- Van Pelt will have to get acclimated to dialing it up from the sideline.

But before he can design a play-calling system, he'll need to resolve New England's quarterback situation. Mac Jones didn't do his future any favors in 2023, playing poorly enough to be benched a handful of times and tossing the Patriots' outlook under center into the uninviting waters of Lake Uncertainty. There's no telling who will be New England's starter in 2024, leaving the Patriots with a top priority they could address as soon as next month, when free agency begins.

"Really right now, everything is on the table," Van Pelt said when asked if he could envision Jones starting in 2024. "As we go through this process, we really this last couple weeks, 10 days, have just been diving into who we are, trying to evaluate our guys. A lot of people in this situation, on staffs that have been here, they're doing free agency. Well, we're doing our guys as they are free agents. We're trying to understand who we have here, as well as looking at other players out there. 

"But right now, everything is on the table and we're just still working through that process. When then time comes, I'm sure it'll be a collaborative effort and we'll make the right decisions."

Van Pelt revealed he'd talked to Jones "a little bit" since joining new coach Jerod Mayo's staff in New England, but that was about as far as he'd go concerning Jones. As he sees it, the Patriots have work to complete with this