BREAKING NEWS: Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots part ways!
Following the shocking news that the Patriots and Bill Belichick will be parting ways, there seems to already be a candidate to replace him.
Team linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, who signed to a contract extension last offseason to remain with the team "long-term," projects to be "a, if not the, leading candidate for the job," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss.
Last March at the 2023 NFL owners meetings, Robert Kraft told NFL Network that Mayo is a "strong candidate to be the heir apparent" to Bill Belichick, and inside linebackers coach himself has expressed interest in being a head coach one day, having taking interviews with the Broncos, Raiders, and Eagles in the past.
It was reported last month by Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard that Mayo had been "rubbing people the wrong way" inside the Patriots building since contract extension, a report Mayo himself called "hurtful":
"It was more hurtful than anything," Mayo responded when asked about the report. "I found it to be, well, the timing was a little bit weird in my opinion. And, if that was the case, I feel like this would've been leaked sometime earlier. At the same time, I try to treat everyone the same way. And I will say this: I thought about it for a while. When people talk about 'rubbing people the wrong way' obviously... That's part of the job of being a leader, is to rub people the wrong way. And I always try to be constructive and respectful in my feedback. And some people appreciate that transparency and some don't."
"But at the end of the day," he professed. "If we can't rub people the wrong way, how do expect to be the best that you can be? And I would say anytime there's change or anything like that, like, it's gonna be painful. Someone's gonna rub you the wrong way. At the end of the day, you have to look through all the words and really get to the substance, or get to the meat and potatoes of what that person is trying to say."
On top of Mayo, other candidates to replace Belichick reportedly include former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. Vrabel was relieved of his duties in Tennessee on Tuesday morning, and, according to Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz, there is "mutual interest" between the team and their former linebacker.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
Related
