On Monday, Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo made his weekly appearance on The Greg Hill Show, and was asked if team ownership had told him he will be back as the head coach next season.
Mayo sidestepped both the initial question and the follow-up, saying his main focus is getting his team ready for their Week 15 game against the Arizona Cardinals (6-7), and that he wasn’t “gonna get into all of that stuff.”
So when Pro Football Hall of Fame corner and Patriots legend Ty Law joined the morning show for his weekly appearance on Tuesday, he was asked the same question.
“I asked [Jerod Mayo] if Robert Kraft had reassured him that he would be back next season, and he didn’t really answer that question,” said WEEI’s Greg Hill. “I know in your mind, he is back next season. Is there anything that has to happen with this football team when it comes to the four games that remain in order for Jerod Mayo to be back? Or is it - if they lose all four, it doesn’t matter?”
Unlike Mayo, Law - as he always does - had a real answer.
“I don’t think it matters what happens at this point,” said Law. “I think Mr. Kraft went in - of course he wanted better. The expectations was more than what we got. But I think that he didn’t have expectations, as far as, like, ‘We’re gonna go to the playoffs or be a Super Bowl contender,’ when he made the hire.
“You gotta give him a chance. And I think, you know, the first year - it isn’t a great indication of what he could possibly do until he get his own guys in there. He has to open up - he gotta back up the Brinks truck, dammit. [Kraft] gotta spend some money. So, is he gonna give him something to work with? So I don’t think Jerod is going anywhere, because that wouldn’t be - you know, give somebody one year and don’t let him get his - I mean this is his first year as a head coach. That’s just like if a rookie quarterback doesn’t have a great rookie season, do you get rid of him, or you give him time? So I think Mr. Kraft is a smart enough businessman to give him time. How much time? I don’t know, but he’s definitely secure for next season.”
In January, Mayo told The Greg Hill Show that the team was ready to “burn some cash,” as the Patriots were coming off a four-win season with lots of cap space and a glaring need for more talent on the roster. He ended up having to walk those comments back (as he’s wont to do), as the team whiffed on multiple public dalliances with big name wide receivers on the market.
Instead, the team opted to use their cap space to re-sign players from both sides of the ball, unable to upgrade the wide receiver room or properly fill needs at both left and right tackle.
The lack of upgrades across the roster has led to a 2024 that sees the Patriots ranked 31st in total offense, and 20th in total defense.
That, combined with questionable coaching decisions across the board, has New England currently in position to pick third in next spring NFL Draft - their second consecutive season picking at that spot.
With that said, there’s still a good chunk of the season left with four weeks to go, and there are a lot of bad teams. Adding even one more win to their total over this last month of games could dramatically change their draft position. So don’t lock that spot in for New England just yet.
But whether they’re picking third or sixth overall, the point from Law still stands:
This roster needs an overhaul, regardless if Mayo is the man at the helm moving forward.