New Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski adds more Browns flavor to staff by naming Alex Van Pelt QBs coach

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — New Atlanta coach Kevin Stefanski added more Cleveland Browns flavor to his Falcons staff by hiring Alex Van Pelt as quarterbacks coach on Saturday night.

Van Pelt joins offensive coordinator Tommy Rees as former Cleveland coaches on Stefanski's staff.

Stefanski spent six seasons with Cleveland, where he twice was named AP Coach of the Year and had a 45-56 record. He was fired on Jan. 5 after the Browns finished a 5-12 season.

Van Pelt was a senior offensive assistant for the Los Angeles Rams in 2005 after serving as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots (2024) and the Browns (2020-23). Van Pelt worked on Stefanski's staff in Cleveland.

In Atlanta, Van Pelt will be charged with developing quarterback Michael Penix Jr , who is rehabbing a torn ACL that ended his 2025 season.

In New England, Van Pelt guided rookie quarterback Drake Maye to the Pro Bowl. While in Cleveland, Van Pelt worked with Stefanski to lead the Browns' offense to two of the top-five single-season point totals in franchise history, totaling 408 points in 2020 and 396 in 2023.

Stefanski was hired as coach on Jan. 17. The Falcons completed their remake of their new leadership team on Thursday night by hiring Ian Cunningham as general manager. The additions of Cunningham and Stefanski followed the hiring of former longtime Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan as president of football.

Cunningham and Stefanski will report to Ryan.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank fired general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris after an 8-9 season.

Van Pelt was the quarterbacks coach for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018-19. He held multiple roles with Green Bay from 2012-17, including four seasons as the quarterbacks coach.

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