If the Patriots decide to make Jerod Mayo a one-and-done head coach, they’ll have plenty of options to replace him.
Mayo shut down questions about his job security heading into Week 18, and multiple NFL insiders believe the 38-year-old will be back on the New England sideline next year. However, there are seeds of doubt that another embarrassing loss could signal the end for Mayo.
One name the Patriots could go after is Ben Johnson. The Detroit Lions offensive coordinator will be a hot commodity, and while New England does things it could sell the 38-year-old on, it might not be enough.
“If New England did come open, might Johnson want to go work with quarterback Drake Maye and the haul of draft picks the Pats can likely acquire for this year’s No. 1 pick?” ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote Thursday. “Johnson has been choosy and has made it clear he’s not going to leave the excellent situation he’s currently in with the Lions for just any old coaching job. If he stays put in Detroit for a third straight season, it could hurt his head coaching aspirations long term, but some of these situations aren’t exactly set up for success.”
The Carolina Panthers heavily pursued Johnson after the 2022 season, but he chose to stay on to help the Lions reach the NFC Championship Game. After the 2023 season, he was a candidate for the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks jobs but turned those teams down, too.
Teams firing their head coach typically means they aren’t in the best shape, so it’s unknown what kind of ideal situation Johnson is after. New England hasn’t been a popular destination since Tom Brady left, but Maye might have changed that this season. Whether it would be enough to convince Johnson to join the Patriots is up to speculation.
