Patriots Super Bowl champion pinpoints head coach Jerod Mayo’s ‘biggest blunder’
The New England Patriots have been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons over the past few weeks. After four straight losses and little improvement from last season, coach Jerod Mayo has won himself no favors since replacing Bill Belichick.
Mayo's post-game press conferences have also drawn criticism. A few weeks ago, he said he couldn't affect the outcome once his players took the field. He followed that comment by essentially throwing his offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt, under the bus. When asked if the team should have used Drake Maye more as a runner against the Arizona Cardinals, Mayo replied: "You said it, I didn't."
On Monday's episode of "Eye on Foxborough Podcast," three-time Patriots Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty had a lot to say about Mayo:
“It’s the inexperience. It’s his first year being a head coach. I think he’s trying to figure things out. ... The biggest thing everybody always talks about is what is said after the game and what is gonna be said the next day. I will say that’s probably been his biggest blunder of the season, of trying to control your emotions right after the game.
"To be able to address the situation, address what happened. ... Maybe you don’t hit it exactly where you want. But you’re somewhere in the ballpark that you don’t have to say something different the next day. ... I think overall, it’s not perfect. It’s a little off here, a little off there. That shows up to me with the team."
Patriots left with few options to replace Jerod Mayo
On NBC Sports, NFL insider Albert Breer asserted that it's difficult to recover from throwing your offensive coordinator under the bus:
"That felt like he was throwing Alex Van Pelt under the bus. I think that’s a really hard thing to come back from. The players see that, they see a lack of accountability. How are you gonna get coaches here then? They’re all gonna think that Jerod Mayo is on the hot seat in 2025.”
The Patriots have made it clear they will afford their coach some time to get things right. Considering Robert Kraft handpicked Mayo to be Bill Belichick's successor, it's likely that he will get a few more years to right the ship.
On the off chance that the Patriots choose to let Mayo go, Mike Vrabel could be one of the few names available. However, according to Breer, he is being eyed by the Chicago Bears.
The Patriots are projected to have north of $100 million in cap space to make some moves this summer. They will also have a high pick, likely a top-3 selection, in the 2025 NFL draft, giving them a prime opportunity to add some talent.