New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is reportedly about to receive his pink slip following the team’s ugly loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Jerod Mayo was long viewed as the successor to Bill Belichick in New England before the latter left the organization last year. After Belichick and Robert Kraft parted ways, owner Robert Kraft quickly named Mayo the new head coach.
Expectations were low for the rebuilding Patriots coming into 2024, but the team’s six-game losing streak reportedly has Kraft close to pulling the plug on the rookie head coach.
Speaking on a new episode of his show, Kirk Minihane reports that Jerod Mayo will be let go as the Patriots head coach in the next two days. The Pats host the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon.
“Sources have informed me that within the next 48 hours, Jerod Mayo will be removed as head coach of the New England.” Minehan said.”
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
“Sources have informed me that within the next 48 hours, Jerod Mayo will be removed as head coach of the New England @Patriots.”https://t.co/rKX1AzOLt1 pic.twitter.com/IoApoV40nf
— The Kirk Minihane Show (@kirkminshow) October 23, 2024
Mayo received criticism for calling the Patriots players “soft” after the 32-16 loss to the Jaguars. Belichick usually avoids publicly criticizing other coaches and players, but he questioned Mayo’s decision during his appearance on Tom Brady’s “Lets Go!” podcast:
Bill Belichick taking another shot at Jerod Mayo. Wow.
Per: @TomBrady, @JimGrayOfficial
“Hey coach have you ever had a soft team?”
BB: “I think when you criticize your team publicly like that, it doesn’t always go over well…ultimately I always felt that when the team… pic.twitter.com/LvUgIrWD7l
— Savage (@SavageSports_) October 22, 2024
Even though the Patriots went a miserable 4-13 in Belichick’s final year as head coach, they were at least usually competitive in games because of his defense. During their six-game losing streak, however, the Pats have lost by 16-plus points four times.
So, is Jerod Mayo really on the verge of being fired just seven games into the season? We’ll find out in the coming days, but it’s safe to say that Mr. Kraft is far from pleased with the first season of the post-Belichick era.
Firing Jerod Mayo Wouldn’t Fix Patriots’ Problems
This isn’t to say that Mayo has done well in his first year as New England’s head coach, but firing him does nothing to solve the organization’s issues. Mayo inherited a team devoid of game-changing players on both sides of the ball, especially a woeful offensive line and the league’s worst WR corps.
Kraft could fire Mayo this year, but it wouldn’t put New England any closer to contending for a playoff spot. And if Kraft were to let go of Mayo in year one of a lengthy rebuild, it wouldn’t exactly make the Patriots’ HC opening any more attractive to others.
