The Patriots face a critical final weeks of the regular season, and there’s been mixed reporting on Jerod Mayo’s future.
It was previously believed that Robert Kraft felt secure with Mayo at the helm. However, reporting during the bye week and heading into Week 15 laid doubt on the 38-year-old’s future in New England.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Wednesday offered insight on the coaching landscape. He didn’t provide concrete details on Mayo’s future, but the NFL insider did hint at possible coaching staff changes.
“Jerod Mayo’s 3-10 start in New England has been rocky, though people I’ve talked to believe adding more experience to the Patriots’ staff would be a more prudent move than Robert Kraft firing his hand-picked successor that he essentially developed for years,” Graziano wrote.
Kraft revealed he hand-picked Mayo as Bill Belichick’s successor in 2019. It would be a surprise if ownership went against its previous conviction. That’s why it’s possible a coordinator change could be more realistic next offseason.
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New England brought in Ben McAdoo as a senior offensive assistant, but there aren’t many other assistants with experience like the former New York Giants head coach. It’s possible the Patriots decide to get someone more experienced in one of the coordinator gigs or hire different assistants to help out Alex Van Pelt and DeMarcus Covington in Year 2.
That’s not to say sentiment on Mayo won’t change by the end of the season. However, it likely would take a disastrous fall for that to happen.
Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
