Patriots insider speculates that Jerod Mayo is not ‘assured’ second season coaching team

"If this is the way the rest of the season is going to go, a lot of people are going to get fired.”

Jerod Mayo and the Patriots are just 1-6 so far this season. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)

October 22, 2024

3 minutes to read

Jerod Mayo’s first season as head coach of the New England Patriots has not gone according to plan.

Even if expectations weren’t all that high for a rebuilding Patriots roster, New England has seemingly regressed as the 2024 season has gone on. Following a disappointing 32-16 loss to the Jaguars in London on Sunday, the Patriots are 1-6 on the year and have dropped six straight games.

Even with the absence of established talent across New England’s depth chart, the steep decline in the Patriots’ defensive fortitude, the team’s struggles with discipline, and Mayo’s own postgame comments have drawn plenty of flak.

Not only have Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and Devin McCourty questioned Mayo’s decision to label the Patriots as a “soft” team following Sunday’s loss, but several players on the current roster have made their frustrations known on social media.

Many expected there to be growing pains for Mayo and his staff in their first year at the helm in Foxborough. But could New England’s ongoing dysfunction put Mayo on the hot seat already this season?

Speaking on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Felger & Mazz” on Tuesday, Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal acknowledged that Mayo could find himself on thin ice if the Patriots don’t show signs of righting the ship in 2024.

“I think that, how do I put this … I think that there were some thoughts during the summer that there were questions going on around the building about whether this was the right thing for the program,” Bedard said of the Patriots hiring Mayo. “There was some second-guessing, second thoughts about it. And I’ll tell you, it’s my opinion from talking to people that I don’t think Jerod Mayo is assured of a second season if this is a complete dumpster fire.

“Now I don’t think that’s likely, but considering where we are in Week 7, they are weeks away from even a bye week trying to reset, not that that’s going to do any good with this coaching staff. … But I think it would be wise for Jerod to get on top of things. If that means him going into the defense meeting room, taking over play calling, something. If this is the way the rest of the season is going to go, a lot of people are going to get fired.”

Even though Bedard acknowledged that the odds are slim that Robert Kraft and the Patriots ownership would make such an about-face with their coaching personnel, he added that that sentiment could change in a hurry — especially if the Patriots’ issues continue to snowball.

“If this continues on,” Bedard warned. “And look, it’s getting worse by the week, and you have a coach who just went to the podium and called his players ‘soft’ and now you have Belichick — the deposed ‘dictator’ — basically like asking for a mutiny to rise up with his comments and whistles that he’s blowing for his guys, and it get worse and worse very week?

“I do not think it’s assured that Jerod Mayo is back for a second season, along with a lot of other people in that building. Like, the Krafts are not going to be embarrassed and Sunday was embarrassing. And they still have 10 more games to go.”

Bedard is not the only Patriots scribe who offered up an ominous tone over Mayo’s tenuous standing in Foxborough after a 1-6 start.

Speaking on WEEI’s “Jones & Keefe” Tuesday, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran noted that Mayo is “at a level of risk” when it comes to losing the locker room after Sunday’s postgame comments.

Even though Mayo clarified his comments on Monday, Curran noted that the damage might have been done on Sunday.

“I think they all acknowledged, Mayo included, definitely Kraft, ‘Look, this is going to be a year with some bumps and fits and starts.’ I don’t think in their wildest dreams did they play out and game-play [the] worst-case scenario, but this is playing out as worst-case scenario,” Curran said.

“I just don’t think that with a first-year head coach, first-year coordinator, first-year coordinator on the defensive side, that they ever game-played that it was going to be this bad. So, Mayo needs help.”