This is not a surprise in the least, but it still qualifies as good news. The Green Bay Packers, who were dealing with a vacancy at quarterbacks coach, have chosen to promote from within. According to CBS' Jason La Canfora, the job is going to the obvious candidate, Alex Van Pelt:
While Pettine had identified Alex Van Pelt as top OC candidate, I'm told he's agreed to stay in GB, and will now be QB coach (had been RBs)
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) January 23, 2014
This is big for the Packers, and probably for Aaron Rodgers as well. Van Pelt is highly respected within the team and the NFL, and as noted above (and as we discussed a few days ago), he would have been a top target for the Browns if they had hired Mike Pettine as their head coach (which they ended up doing this afternoon).
Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette confirms that Van Pelt would not have been able to interview for the Browns' coordinator job, though, since he remains under contract through 2014 and the Packers would likely have blocked the interview. Now, instead of hiring a new QB coach, the Packers get to look for a new running backs coach instead, along with someone to coach the outside linebackers.
Van Pelt played the quarterback position in college at Pittsburgh and for nine years as the backup for the Buffalo Bills. He started 11 games in his pro career, including a career-high 8 games during the 2001 season in relief of Rob Johnson. He has been the Bills' and Buccaneers' quarterbacks coach in the past.