Patriots Crowd Turns on Jerod Mayo

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Wright | Last updated Dec 30, 2024 12:26 PM ET

Even the Patriots faithfully have had enough of Jerod Mayo's tenure as head coach. "Fire Mayo" chants echoed through a half-empty Gillette Stadium during Saturday's 40-7 drubbing by the Los Angeles Chargers. At 3-13, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo faces a crossroads that could define the Patriots' future.

"You hear those things. But at the same time, they paid to sit in the seats, and we've got to play better," Mayo acknowledged after the game, his slow walk to the locker room through the foggy New England night feeling particularly heavy, shrouded by a sense of sobering disappointment.

Although the fans have lost their patience, the veteran players still have his back. "I think he's doing a great job," insisted captain Deatrich Wise Jr., while Davon Godchaux fired back at the critics: "The guy's in his first season. It's not going to be golden. The chant is ridiculous."

This offseason, Robert Kraft will face difficult decisions regarding both Mayo and EVP Eliot Wolf. While first-year dismissals are rare, the evidence for Jerod's progress is thin: a surprising Week 1 win in Cincinnati, a 2-6 record in one-score games, and the promising selection of quarterback Drake Maye. However, beyond that, Wolf's draft class and free agent signings have produced mixed results at best and Mayo's play calling has failed to bring out the best in his players.

As the Patriots will likely hold the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and have substantial cap space, there's reason to think that Mayo's 2nd season will produce better result. That said, for a franchise that hasn't scored 30+ points in 44 games and is headed toward its second straight sub-.300 winning percentage, something has to give. The question isn't if change is coming - it's how dramatic that change will be.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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