Patriots fans are frustrated with HC Jerod Mayo following another loss. However, a shocking rumor about his future with the franchise has since emerged.
New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo at a press conference at the Harrow School. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The New England Patriots’ tumultuous 2024 season continued on Sunday with a 28-22 loss to the LA Rams at Gilette Stadium. The one-possession loss saw the Patriots’ record drop to 3-8, essentially slamming the door shut on any postseason aspiration as NFL Next Gen Stats is giving the franchise less than 1 % chance of making the playoffs.
With the losses piling up, Patriots fans are wondering what the disappointing performance means for Jerod Mayo. The first-year head coach has failed to reach expectations since taking over for Bill Belichick in the offseason, leaving time to tell if he’ll even make it to the second year of his contract.
As confidence in Mayo is at an all-time low, a shocking report has emerged about his outlook.
Patriots Rumors: Jerod Mayo to Return in 2025?
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Monday morning that there’s a good chance that Patriots owner Robert Kraft isn’t ready to throw the towel in on the 38-year-old head coach just yet.
“At this point in the season, people around the league believe that (Mayo’s) coaching staff is safe,” Russini said in a post on X. ” We’ll see if that changes.”
At this point in the season, people around the league believe that this coaching staff is safe.
We’ll see if that changes. https://t.co/6XlvfDtDlo— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 18, 2024
On one hand, it’s understandable why some Patriots fans would be fine with seeing Mayo go. New England is on track to miss the NFL postseason for the third consecutive year and the offense is among the worst in the league, averaging 16.5 points (30th) and 281.2 total yards (31st) per game with the fourth-worst red-zone scoring percentage (46.9%).
On the other hand, Mayo has only had less than a year to shape the team in his image. It’s hard to install a new culture and mentality that quickly after Belichick ran the show for the better part of two decades. The former player-turned-coach will need more time than that to show what he’s fully capable of.
Besides, it hasn’t been all bad under Mayo’s watch. The Patriots’ defense has been somewhat respectable more often than not, which has led to some close losses. In fact, four of New England’s eight defeats thus far came by just one possession.
If the Patriots want to see what Mayo can do, management must do what it can to shore up the offense through the draft and free agency this offseason. Only then can a fair judgment be made on the former Tennessee product’s future.
In the meantime, the Patriots will focus on visiting the rival Miami Dolphins in Week 12. It’ll be another opportunity for Mayo to prove his worth as the Pats are currently projected as 7-point road underdogs to the Dolphins, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
