The New England Patriots are hiring a former linebacker to take over for Bill Belichick, and in a twist, it won’t be Mike Vrabel. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, New England will hire from within, as inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is in line to become the franchise’s next head coach.
It’s a new era in New England: the Patriots have hired Jerod Mayo as their next head coach and he will be formally introduced at a press conference next week, a source tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/SeHKoAonrP
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2024
Now official: Jerod Mayo is their new head coach. The decision has been made. https://t.co/CSqETitZU7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2024
Rapoport brought word that the Patriots actually have a contractual obligation to give Mayo the job, as it explicitly says in his contract that he would be the one to take over for the six-time Super Bowl winner.
While so much of the focus was on Mike Vrabel, the internal focus for the #Patriots was always on Jerod Mayo. It was written into his contract that he would be the successor to Bill Belichick.
Now, he will be.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 12, 2024
Mayo is a Patriots lifer, as the team selected him 10th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks and earned a first-team All-Pro nod back in 2010. In 2019, three years after announcing his retirement from his playing days, Mayo joined the Patriots’ as their inside linebackers coach, a role that he’s held ever since.
While he’ll walk into a franchise that has sky high expectations, Mayo will inherit a roster that has fallen on hard times in recent years. New England went 4-13 last season, the worst mark in the AFC, and will have a major decision to make this April, as the team holds the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Source: https://uproxx.com/sports/patriots-hire-jerod-mayo-succeed-bill-belichick/
