Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Sunday it was "great" for the organization to reach a contract extension with star linebacker Jerod Mayo.
Mayo's rookie deal runs through 2012, and his five-year extension will keep him under contract through 2017. Belichick was happy to come to terms with Mayo earlier than many expected.
"It's great to have him," Belichick said. "He's our defensive captain, has been since the second year in the league. He's a good football player. He's a good leader. He really takes a lot of pride in what he does and makes the players around him better. It's great to have him with us for some more years."
