Did the New England Patriots Just Reveal Their Succession Plan With Jerod Mayo?

Rarely have 39 words packed a stronger punch than what the New England Patriots dropped in a news release Thursday evening: “The New England Patriots and Head Coach Bill Belichick have begun contract extension discussions with Jerod Mayo that would keep him with the team long-term. In addition, the team will begin interviewing for offensive coordinator candidates beginning next week.”

That unprecedented revelation from the NFL’s most secretive franchise seemed to hint at a potential succession plan, as Mayo must now be viewed as a potential replacement for Belichick, whenever it is he retires.

New England Patriots’ Shocking Jerod Mayo Announcement

Mayo, 36, was a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker who spent his eight-year playing career with the Patriots, earning a spot in the franchise’s All-2010s Team.

After his playing days ended, he joined Belichick’s staff. He’s technically been the team’s inside linebackers coach since 2019 but is also the team’s de facto co-defensive coordinator. While Steve Belichick, Bill’s son, calls the defensive plays, he and Mayo work closely on crafting the game plan.

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Mayo’s contract is up, and the timing couldn’t be better. He has reportedly been among the candidates for the Carolina Panthers’ head coaching job and was also up for the Browns’ defensive coordinator opening before Thursday’s announcement.

It’s fair to wonder what Patriots owner Robert Kraft promised Mayo beyond a few more years of guaranteed salary. There’s been great intrigue for years about who will eventually replace Belichick when he ultimately retires. Thursday’s remarkable change in protocol suggests that he would be a candidate for the job, at the very least.

Patriots To Hire New Offensive Coordinator

The Mayo news wasn’t the only bombshell in that statement. The worst-kept secret in football was that Matt Patricia was the team’s offensive coordinator in everything but name in 2022.

Belichick gambled that Patricia would have similar success running the offense as he did running the defense a decade ago. That was a miscalculation, as the Patriots averaged just 21.4 points per game — ranking last in red-zone efficiency (42.2%).

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That failure prompted Kraft and Belichick to decide that changes were needed during an end-of-year post-mortem.

Thursday’s announcement was proof that those changes — which are expected to include coaching reassignments — are already underway. The Patriots would have made the playoffs for the 18th time in 20 years with a Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. Instead, they lost 35-23, clearing the way for significant changes, which are already underway.