The Chicago Bears are expected to fire head coach Matt Nagy after the season. Could Jerod Mayo take his place?
The MMQB's Albert Breer on Friday mentioned the New England Patriots' inside linebacker coach as a candidate to succeed Nagy in Chicago.
"I've heard a few younger candidates that project as leaders, like Patriots LBs coach Jerod Mayo and Colts DC Matt Eberflus, will be in the mix too," Breer wrote in his "GamePlan" column. "Obviously, for these types, a plan for developing (quarterback) Justin Fields will be important."
Breer also listed Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier as potential Bears targets.
Mayo is in just his third season as a coach at any level, but the former Patriots linebacker and captain has appeared on multiple head-coaching candidate watch lists in recent weeks. The 35-year-old, who was lauded for his leadership during his playing career, interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles' top job last year and reportedly made a strong impression.
"I definitely aspire to be a head coach in this league," Mayo said in November. "At the same time, I would say I'm really focused on this season. We'll see what happens at the end of the year."
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels also could draw head-coaching interest during this hiring cycle, but he has yet to be directly linked to any openings. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders currently are the only teams in the market for new head coaches, but that list is expected to grow after the regular season concludes this Sunday.
The playoff-bound Patriots will visit the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.
