Coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in decades and without Mack Jones or Bailey Zappé on the roster, the New England Patriots’ quarterback position will be under the spotlight all spring. There’s no word yet on how the team will improve him, but we now know who will be handling the player’s training: T. McCartney has been hired as New England’s new QB coach.
As a former Cleveland Browns tight end who has worked with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt for the past four years, McCartney has always felt like a natural addition to New England’s staff. He’s actually part of the team, so let’s take a look at what that means from an overall recruiting perspective.
Patriots hire 5 quarterbacks coaches in 5 yearsBill O’Brien served a dual role as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last year, and his departure leaves vacancies at both positions. We’ve known for a week that Alex Van Pelt would be taking over some of his duties, but now T.C. McCartney makes up the other half.For the Patriots, that means there’s another QB coach in the building, their fifth in the last five years. Jedd Fish took over in 2020, Josh McDaniels took over at the end of that season, Joe Judge took over in 2021, Joe Judge took over in 2022 and Bill O’Brien, assisted by Evan Rothstein last year, took over .
After O’Brien’s departure, Rothstein was offered the opportunity to take over to provide stability, but an outside meeting with Van Pelt’s connections always seemed the most likely outcome. It really happened. McCartney, 34, a former quarterback at LSU, will now try to bring stability to a position that has been lacking recently. Evan Rothstein may be on his way out the doorThe aforementioned Evan Rothstein remains in limbo, but McCartney’s arrival as QB coach doesn’t bode well for his future. There is an option for him to return to his previous role as an assistant coach or take on another role, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he leaves for another position.
Potentially reuniting with former Patriots OC O’Brien. It ends. consolation. Another hard to get trainer McCartney has been a tight end for the Browns the past two seasons, and joining the Patriots in that role was considered an option. But with him going back to his roots and working with the passer, New England will need someone else to coach their tight ends in 2024.
Will Lowing may be sticking around after working with the group last year, but he seems to be in the same boat as Evan Rothstein. Alex Van Pelt’s lack of experience working with him doesn’t help his cause, and it might as well. Join his cause. Old boss Bill O’Brien is at the next stop.This will allow another candidate to fill the position. One name to consider is Browns offensive assistant Jonathan DeCoster, who coached tight ends at Louisiana State and Old Dominion before moving to the NFL.
Nick Keiley, who played tight end in New England before leaving for the Los Angeles Rams last spring, could also return. Joe Flacco will be a name to watch in free agencyThe Patriots are expected to address their quarterbacks this offseason, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they redoubled their efforts to improve a struggling group. Invest six weeks early in both the draft and free agency.
If New England does choose to go that route, Joe Flacco is a player to watch. Despite being 39 years old, the longtime Baltimore Ravens QB has connected with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and new quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney.Flacco and McCartney’s history extends beyond their time in Cleveland last season. The two worked closely together in 2019 when McCartney coached the Denver Broncos’ quarterbacks. At the time, Flacco was one of the team’s three starting weapons.
In eight games, he completed 171 of 262 passes (65.3%) for 1,822 yards, including six touchdowns and five interceptions. In an ideal world, the Patriots shouldn’t have to rely on another veteran prospect like Flacco or Jacoby Brissett to start in 2024. But his experience with Van Pelt and McCartney could be valuable at a relatively low cost.
The list of former New England Browns continues to grow.The Patriots didn’t hesitate to bring in rookie quarterback Alex Van Pelt. McCartney is the third former Browns assistant coach to be hired, joining coordinator and offensive line coach Scott Peters. He is the fourth employee associated with Cleveland, including personnel director Alonzo Highsmith.
It wouldn’t be surprising if others followed suit. Stump Mitchell and Tyler Tattleton appear to be candidates for tackle practice, while Chad O’Shea is a name flying under the radar at the wide receiver position.
