It’s been a very challenging season for the Patriots, but Jerod Mayo apparently hasn’t lost the locker room.
Most expected New England to win very few games in the 2024 season. But frustrations reached levels higher than anticipated, and the coaching staff deserves a good chunk of the blame. The Patriots were unprepared and/or undisciplined in many of their first 14 games, which might be an indictment on Mayo.
Thus, there has been speculation that the former linebacker could lose his job in Foxboro, Mass., after only one season. New England players, however, seemingly aren’t itching for a coaching change.
“Acknowledging that Mayo is still learning as a first-year head coach, multiple veteran players privately supported him in the locker room over the past few days as media-based speculation about Mayo’s job security has intensified,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday. “They pointed to a locker room that remains united, being part of seven one-score games, and youth/inexperience on the roster among the reasons for that support.”
ESPN’s Adam Schefter last Thursday noted how Mayo also has support from Patriots owners, who reportedly don’t plan on making an offseason coaching change. However, the NFL insider stressed that New England still has three games left, so the evaluation process seemingly is not over.
It will be tough for the Patriots to close out the campaign with wins, as two of those three games are against the Buffalo Bills. But if New England, at a minimum, plays competitive and inspired football the rest of the way, it should bode well for Mayo’s job security.
