Report: Bill Belichick’s sons have been offered opportunity to return to Patriots

Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo have played a large role in leading the Patriots' defense the last few seasons.

Steve and Brian Belichick have been mainstays on New England's coaching staff over the years. Jim Davis / The Boston Globe

By Conor Ryan

January 15, 2024

1 minute to read

Bill Belichick may no longer be patrolling the sidelines at Gillette Stadium moving forward.

But there is still a chance that the former Patriots head coach’s sons — Steve and Brian — will remain on New England’s coaching staff in 2024 and beyond.

Both Steve and Brian Belichick have “already been offered the opportunity to return” to Jerod Mayo’s coaching staff next season, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

Steve Belichick has been a member of the Patriots organization for 12 years, serving as the team’s defensive play-caller and linebackers coach (alongside Mayo) in 2024. Brian Belichick has been in Foxborough for eight seasons, spending the previous four years as the team’s safeties coach.

“Mayo and the elder son (Steve) have grown close as they’ve collaborated to run the Patriots’ defense the past five years,” Breer wrote.

Both Mayo and Steve Belichick have been at the forefront of a stingy Patriots defense over the last few seasons since Brian Flores left the organization in 2019.

Even with New England trudging through most of the 2023 season without a pair of key contributors in Matthew Judon and Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots ranked seventh in the NFL last season in yards allowed per game (301.6), including just 93.2 rushing yards allowed per contest (fourth overall).

It remains to be seen if any other incumbents with Bill Belichick’s coaching staff will remain in Foxborough with Mayo now at the helm.

Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is still under contract with New England, but if both parties decide not to continue their partnership, Josh McDaniels is expected to be at the top of Mayo’s list to potentially be the next offensive coordinator, NFL Media’s Mike Garofolo reported Saturday.

Mayo could also be given the chance to expand his coaching search beyond personnel linked to the Patriots organization.

“I think the Patriots are going to be very open-minded in trying to find the right guy for what’ll probably be Mayo’s most important hire,” Breer wrote.