The possibility of the Patriots moving on from head coach Jerod Mayo after just one season has become a hot topic in the wake of New England’s ugly loss in Arizona on Sunday and Mayo’s latest press conference blunder.
Some see a logical successor in Mike Vrabel, another former Patriots linebacker, but one who has much more NFL head coaching experience than Mayo. WEEI’s own Greg Hill said earlier this week that it would be “malfeasance” if the Krafts didn’t at least consider making the switch. NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran said he believes Vrabel would be interested if the Patriots job opened up.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter weighed in on the possibility on Wednesday during his weekly appearance on WEEI Afternoons with Christian Arcand and Andy Hart, and poured some cold water on the idea… at least for now. Listen to the full interview above.
“I think this year that basically just about every team with an opening will have some level of interest in Mike Vrabel,” Schefter said. “That's what I believe will be the case. I think him and [Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson will be the belles of the ball, so to speak.
“All we can go by with New England is, I think the Krafts have been pretty clear that they have not been planning a change, they don't want to make a change, they're not looking to make a change. So, it's moot with Mike Vrabel and New England right now… unless it's not.
“But to me, New England would have to fall apart down the stretch, have more poor showings like the one it did on Sunday, and there would have to be a change in the thinking of ownership to even introduce that to being a factor. Do I think that, if the job were open, he would [be interested]? It's certainly logical to assume that. I mean, he's played there, he knows the organization, knows the city. Yeah, I can totally see that. But it's a moot point right now.”
As Arcand noted in his follow-up to Schefter, things could easily fall apart even more in these final three weeks given that the Patriots have two games against the Bills and MVP favorite Josh Allen, and one against another likely playoff team in the Chargers. So, how much worse would things need to get for the Krafts to change their mind about giving Mayo a second year?
“Here's the thing: there are always ownership groups that always say, ‘We're not doing something,’ and then the final month of the season unravels and doesn't go well. We'll see how that goes, but there are always people that change their minds. Again, I want to be very clear: I think the Krafts have stood firmly behind Jerod Mayo, and I think that they have been very clear in their intention to stick with him and give him a chance to grow into that job.
“So again, what would have to change? I don't know how you define it, but I think your eyes kind of know it when you see it. There are things that happen and situations that unfold and all of a sudden, ownership then doesn't support you quite as much. But I really don't think they're there right now.”