Will Jerod Mayo have final say over possible changes to Patriots’ coaching staff? He isn’t sure yet.
"I’ve been in constant communication with ownership, and I’m sure those conversations will be had.”
There’s uncertainty clouding around the Patriots entering their season finale against the Bills on Sunday. Even if Jerod Mayo remains as New England’s head coach, there’s some unknowns about the rest of his staff.
Mayo acknowledged on Friday that he isn’t sure yet if he’ll have the final say on any possible changes to the staff this offseason.
“Well, it’s the first time I’ve gotten to the end of a season,” Mayo told reporters when asked if making any changes to the coaching staff would solely be his call. “So, as I said, I’ve been in constant communication with ownership, and I’m sure those conversations will be had.”
Of course, it’s still unclear whether Mayo will remain as the Patriots’ head coach following the 2024 season. New England has gone 3-13 in Mayo’s first season, with fans calling the team to fire him during the team’s Week 17 loss. Owner Robert Kraft and the team have yet to publicly say whether Mayo will be back in 2025, but it’s been reported on numerous occasions throughout the season that he’s expected to be retained after the year ends.
If Mayo is retained, the next question will become what he does with his offensive and defensive coordinators. Each unit ranks toward the bottom of the league in yards (30th in total yards, 23rd in yards allowed), but there seems to be more questioning over offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s future. Unlike defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, Van Pelt didn’t have a prior relationship with Mayo before being hired last offseason. Mayo also seemed to take a shot at Van Pelt’s play calling in the Patriots’ loss to the Cardinals in Week 15 before clarifying his remark.
Mayo was pretty brief when asked what Van Pelt has brought in terms of leadership on the offensive side of the ball this season.
“Steadiness,” Mayo responded. “He’s a steady guy.”
Mayo was asked if he could expand that thought a bit more.
“I mean, there are a lot of different things I could say,” Mayo added.”But he asked me the most important. It’s steadiness.”
Van Pelt was one of the more experienced members of Mayo’s staff this season. The former quarterback has been an NFL assistant since 2006, serving as the offensive coordinator for the Browns in the four seasons prior to joining the Patriots.
The biggest task for Van Pelt has been developing rookie quarterback Drake Maye as New England hasn’t been shy in sharing that it’s building for the future. Mayo has also made it clear on multiple occasions that the team is looking to build something for the long haul this season.
So, with his first season coming to a close, Mayo was asked if he’s seen any changes to the culture. As he said this was a time to reflect, Mayo added that he doesn’t think the final record should necessarily define the state of the team’s culture while pleading patience.
“I will say sometimes, and I’ve always said this, sometimes we look at culture as it’s almost a retrospective way of validating success or failure,” Mayo said. “In saying that, let me break it down a little bit — just because you have a good record doesn’t mean you have a good culture, and just because you have a bad record doesn’t mean you have a bad culture. So, these things take time.”
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