The Cleveland Browns fired offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, he acknowledged to ESPN.
“Onto the next one. “I’m proud of my time there,” Van Pelt told the network.
The Athletic had previously confirmed the news with a team source.
Van Pelt’s departure comes amid a slew of changes to Cleveland’s staff Wednesday. The Browns also fired running backs coach Stump Mitchell and decided not to keep tight ends coach T.C. McCartney, according to a team source.
Alex Van Pelt confirmed he has been relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns.
“On to the next one,” he said in a text message to ESPN on Wednesday. “Proud of my time there.”
The Browns have not announced the move, with a spokesperson telling ESPN that Van Pelt, 53, is still under contract and no decisions about his future had been made.
The Browns reportedly also parted way with running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach TC McCartney, per multiple outlets
Van Pelt, largely a backup quarterback in the NFL from 1993-2003, began his coaching career in 2005. After stints with the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals, he was named the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Cleveland in 2020.
Despite using five starting quarterbacks this season, the Browns finished 11-6 and advanced to the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs. Their season ended Saturday with a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans.
On the season, the Browns offense averaged 23.3 points per game, tied for 10th place with the Indianapolis Colts.
Cleveland lost top running back Nick Chubb to a knee injury in the second game of the season, and franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson appeared in just six games before having season-ending shoulder surgery.
Leave a Reply