Jerod Mayo reveals Bill Belichick hasn't reached out to him since taking over reins from ex-Patriots HC
Jerod Mayo taking over as the head coach of the New England Patriots was a bit unexpected. At the time, it was unknown that he already had a clause in his contract that had him taking over from Belichick, but Mayo, a product of Belichick himself, was the substitute for the legendary coach.
One would think that, based on the fact that Mayo was a player for Belichick and also an assistant coach, he would have an open line of communication with his former master. But the Patriots head coach has stated that's not really the case:
"So that's a tough question. We haven't had a lot of communication since I've been here and honestly for me my focus is the players. It's all about the players, and I learned a lot from Bill, I honestly did - X's and O's and also, structure and practice and things like that. But like I said, it's a different time. It's a different era, and hopefully we can have that same success."
Jerod Mayo played for the Patriots between 2008 and 2015. He was one of the key cogs in Bill Belichick's team as one of the smartest members on the roster. After he retired, he became their inside linebackers' coach in 2019 and had the role until 2023, when he was promoted to head coach.
In Jerod Mayo's era, Drake Maye is the biggest reason to get excited
For the coach and the franchise, the most important thing this year is to develop Drake Maye as much as they can. He has immense potential, but it only matters if the Patriots do things right.
The feeling around the franchise is totally different. Belichick's hard coaching style is not a secret to anyone who has followed the NFL for a long time, and it worked when they were winning with Tom Brady on the roster; when you're losing and your coach follows a hard line, well, players aren't going to take it.
No one is expecting a Super Bowl run in 2024, but that doesn't mean that there won't be any pressure. Let's see how the Patriots will be in this new era.