How Bengals' Zac Taylor could impact Patriots' Jerod Mayo decision

It remains unclear if New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft will give first-year head coach Jerod Mayo more time to continue learning on the job as a Patriots side led by rookie quarterback Drake Maye limps into the campaign's final weekend at 3-13. 

In an article published on Friday, ESPN's Mike Reiss discussed how Zac Taylor's experiences as head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals could impact how the Krafts handle Mayo's uncertain future.  

"The Bengals' Zac Taylor was 6-25-1 in his first two seasons (2019, 2020)," Reiss explained. "One [Patriots] team source pointed to the patience Bengals ownership showed with Taylor for what could happen in New England, linking the promise that quarterback Joe Burrow brought to Cincinnati in 2020 to what Maye might do with more support and talent around him." 

The lack of "support and talent around" Maye is one reason Patriots beat writer Chris Mason of MassLive predicted as recently as Thursday that the Krafts will stick with Mayo even though stories have routinely linked the club with former New England player and one-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Award winner Mike Vrabel. 

Team sources told Reiss it's understood the Patriots "usually didn't match the opposition in talent" throughout Mayo's first season, and Mark Daniels of MassLive noted on Friday that "multiple Patriots players" recently "unanimously pointed to the lack of talent on the roster" for the team's record. 

"Players on both sides of the ball stuck up for Mayo and questioned what else the coach could’ve done considering the roster he’s been working with," Daniels added. 

Also, on Friday, Patriots/NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said that he thinks Robert Kraft's "staying the course will, I believe, hinge on being able to see some light at the end of the tunnel." One wonders if Robert Kraft may ultimately view the fact that Maye noticeably improved over the past several months as a reason to give Mayo at least one more season in charge. If such a scenario happens, Kraft should also want to hold onto offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt so Van Pelt can continue working with Maye throughout 2025.