Reports have emerged about Jerod Mayo's coaching tactics during his lone season leading the New England Patriots. It appears Mayo may have pushed the envelope in trying to carve out a unique identity and philosophy distinct from that of his predecessor, Bill Belichick.
Jerod Mayo's challenges in his first year as a head coach for the Patriots
According to team insiders, before being fired, Jerod Mayo faced challenges in managing discipline and enforcing it effectively. While he was undoubtedly a player’s coach during his time in New England, The Athletic's Chad Graff noted on Wednesday that Mayo may have lost sight of his primary responsibility as head coach.
After the Patriots’ 30-17 loss to the Cardinals in Arizona, Mayo opted to spend the flight back to New England playing cards with players rather than reviewing game film with his coaching staff.
Another instance occurred before the Patriots’ Week 17 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Mayo informed the broadcast team that he planned to bench running back Rhamondre Stevenson due to his recent fumbling issues. However, when game time arrived, he reversed his decision and allowed Stevenson to start.
“I still don’t know what happened with that. Honestly, Jerod is a good guy. I just don’t think he was ready for all the big decisions and discipline and focus the job takes,” a source from the team remarked.
Jerod Mayo didn’t have the experience required for the role, a point Robert Kraft admitted on Monday, highlighting a succession plan that failed as Belichick's leadership deteriorated. When Mayo needed support to handle the demands of the position, he lacked a reliable mentorship network. Having spent his entire career under Belichick and within the Patriots organization, he found himself without the connections or guidance to rely on during this pivotal time.
Getting handed one of the weakest rosters in the NFL
Mayo was also handed one of the weakest rosters in the NFL and tasked with achieving better results than the legendary coach before him had managed just a season earlier.
From the start, Mayo faced challenges. His first hurdle came while trying to assemble his coaching staff. With an eight-year playing career spent with just one team and one coach, Mayo’s network was limited. He interviewed over a dozen candidates for the offensive coordinator position before Alex Van Pelt eventually took the job.
When it came to the defensive coordinator position, another key role on his staff, Mayo made a surprisingly quick decision. Despite Steve Belichick, Bill’s son, having been the Patriots’ defensive play caller in recent years and leading the team to top-10 defensive rankings, Mayo chose not to keep him in that role.
Instead, he selected DeMarcus Covington, the young defensive line coach, for the job. Mayo did offer Steve a reduced role, but Belichick Jr. declined and left for the defensive coordinator position at the University of Washington.
The Patriots' defensive decline this season was the primary factor behind their struggles. In 2023, they ranked eighth in the league in defensive EPA per play, but this year, they fell to 30th in the same category.
Mayo's limited network leading to multiple first-time roles
Mayo's limited network forced him to rely on Eliot Wolf and others in the front office to fill out his staff. This led to the Patriots having multiple first-time roles: Wolf as the front-office leader, Mayo as head coach, DeMarcus Covington as defensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt as offensive play caller, Jeremy Springer as special teams coordinator, Scott Peters as offensive line coach, Tyler Hughes as wide receivers coach, and Dont’a Hightower as linebackers coach. While none of these hires were inherently poor, the collective lack of experience meant too many people were figuring things out as they went along.
It’s important to acknowledge that Mayo was set up for failure with the roster he inherited. The team, provided by Belichick and Wolf, was among the weakest in the league, lacking depth and talent.
Ultimately, Mayo's situation was less than ideal, but his own actions didn’t do much to improve his standing either.
The Patriots are now on the hunt for their third head coach in as many years.
