The former New York Giants head coach was hired earlier this offseason.
After picking who they hope will be their quarterback of the future at No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots will enter the crucial phase. Now it’s about developing Drake Maye from a highly-touted prospect into a pro-level player.
Doing so will not be a one-man job in New England. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney will both play an active role in helping Maye transition to the NFL and the Patriots offense.
They are not alone, though. Senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo is also expected to play a prominent role in developing the rookie quarterback, NFL Network reporter Cameron Wolfe said on a new episode of Patriots Daily.
“One thing I was told by Jerod [Mayo] and by multiple people, Ben McAdoo is going to have a huge role for Drake Maye,” Wolfe said.
“They hired him for a reason. They think that he’s a quarterback savant. He’s been a former head coach, and there’s a thought there that he can develop Drake Maye. Not saying that he’s going to have more role than Alex Van Pelt. But, I’d say that Ben McAdoo is going to have a really significant role in developing Drake Maye.”
The Patriots acquired McAdoo as part of their offensive restructuring earlier this offseason. A common history with Van Pelt likely played a role in this — they spent time in Green Bay together in the early 2010s — as did his overall coaching experience.
The 46-year-old McAdoo started his career at the high school and college levels before getting his first NFL opportunity as a quality control coach on the 2004 New Orleans Saints. He joined the San Francisco 49ers the following year as an assistant offensive line coach before moving to the Packers, where he coached tight ends and quarterbacks over an eight-year period.
The New York Giants added him as their offensive coordinator in 2014, and two years later named him their head coach. He only lasted one-and-a-half years in the Big Apple — going 11-5 with a playoff berth in Year 1 before a 2-10 start in Year 2 — and subsequently spent two seasons away from the NFL.
McAdoo returned as quarterbacks coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, but was let go again the following year. He became a consultant for the Dallas Cowboys and in 2022 was picked up by the Carolina Panthers as their offensive coordinator in another one-and-done stint. He was out of the league in 2023, but made the move to New England in February to reunite with Van Pelt.
The idea behind the hire already seemed rather obvious at the time. Indeed, all things points toward McAdoo being a quasi-quarterback guru for the Patriots and their high-profile investment.
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