In the clearest indication yet that he will be staying in Foxborough, Jerod Mayo has pulled himself out of the running for the Carolina Panthers' head coaching position, according to Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston.
The Patriots announced in an unprecedented press release this week that they were working on a contract extension with Mayo that would "keep him with the team long-term."
Mayo proceeded to pull out of the running for the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator job shortly after that, but The MMQB's Albert Breer had reported that there was "still mutual interest" in Mayo interviewing for the Panthers' head job.
It seems that even that has now changed. Even with the Patriots wanting to keep Mayo around, it would have been understandable if he had left for a head coaching job. If he's no longer looking at those either -- or is at least being a lot more selective -- it's a good sign that the aforementioned extension is indeed on the verge of being finalized.
It's unclear if a new title will come along with the new contract, but it seems likely. Mayo's current title is "inside linebackers coach," which doesn't seem like a role someone with head-coaching aspirations would want to remain in for years to come.
