The Patriots' offensive coaching structure could -- and definitely should -- change this offseason after the unit struggled mightily throughout the 2022 season.
The turnover on Bill Belichick's staff might not be limited to that side of the football, though.
A New England exit in the coming months is entirely possible for Jerod Mayo, who's gained league-wide acclaim as a coach with each passing season since he entered the profession in 2019. Mayo, who had no prior coaching experience when he became the Patriots' inside linebackers coach four years ago, already has NFL head-coaching interviews under his belt and he's never hidden his desire to be at the helm of a professional organization.
Kimberley A. Martin, however, believes Mayo could be a candidate for a non-head-coaching gig in the league this winter. The ESPN NFL reporter identified the 36-year-old as a "name to watch" for defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns, who reportedly fired Joe Woods on Monday.
While becoming an NFL head coach clearly is the ultimate goal for Mayo, a DC job very well could appeal to the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft. Given the way Belichick operates, there's a good chance Mayo never will receive the official defensive coordinator title in New England. One has to imagine the Tennessee product also wants to call defensive plays with no strings attached.
Mayo, who played eight seasons with the Patriots, has deep roots in Foxboro. But those ties might not be enough to keep the linebacker-turned-coach with the organization moving forward.
