Jerod Mayo’s Orange Juice ‘Joke Gone Wrong’ A Bad Omen For Patriots?

Jerod Mayo channeled his inner Bill Belichick at Monday's AFC coaches breakfast, bringing a fresh cup of orange juice to the table, just like his Patriots predecessor famously did during his New England tenure.

"Shout out to the orange juice," Mayo joked while pulling up a chair to talk with reporters.

The moment drew laughs, as you could imagine. Media members wondered throughout the morning whether Mayo indeed would drink OJ at his first NFL annual league meeting as New England's head coach.

Why? Well, you're probably familiar with the famous Belichick meme, which shows the now-former Patriots head coach sipping orange juice at a previous coaches breakfast. New England fans frequently revisited the image whenever it appeared Belichick had a leg up on the competition.

So, this was an opportunity for Mayo to become meme-worthy in his own right. And the 38-year-old former linebacker, who played eight seasons in New England (2008-15) and coached on Belichick's staff, leaned into it.

But, in a classic case of "how it started vs. how it's going," the joke proved short-lived. Because about 11 minutes into his press conference, Mayo spilled the juice.

A bad omen for the Patriots?

"See, that's called a joke gone wrong right there," Mayo quipped.

The pertinent question surrounding Mayo's hiring -- Vitamin C consumption aside -- is how much his approach will differ from Belichick's. It was a certain way in New England for more than two decades. Now, the Patriots are leaning on a younger leader with zero head-coaching experience.

Clearly, Mayo has a sense of humor. He so far has been much more lighthearted and direct in his media availabilities, even to the point where he was asked Monday whether he regretted saying the Patriots were ready to "burn some cash" in free agency this NFL offseason.

But will it strengthen the diminishing culture in Foxboro and lead to improved results on the field, where the Patriots are coming off a last-place finish in the AFC East with a 4-13 record?

If so, we could see a new version of the orange juice meme floating around social media, with Mayo confidently sipping OJ as the Patriots rack up wins.

If not, the spill will loom large. Times have changed. Not necessarily for the better.