Patriots' Jerod Mayo addresses future amid Bill Belichick rumors

Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo was asked during a Tuesday news conference if he could replace longtime head coach Bill Belichick in New England and the former player took it in stride.

"You’ve been here long enough, I bet you can say the answer that I’m about to give you," Mayo responded, per Khari Thompson of The Boston Globe. "We’re 100 percent focused on [this coming Sunday's home game versus the 8-5 Kansas City Chiefs.] I only try to control the controllables and that’s out of my control. Hopefully, as you guys all know, one day I want to be a head coach. Where that is? I don’t know." 

It was said this past summer that Patriots owner Robert Kraft viewed Mayo, who first became New England's inside linebackers coach in 2019, "as the team’s coach-in-waiting." That was before the Patriots lost 10 of 13 games this season and before it was reported this week that Kraft decided after the club's defeat against the Indianapolis Colts in Germany on Nov. 12 that he would part ways with Belichick after the campaign. 

Neither Kraft nor Belichick has yet confirmed the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach will leave the franchise next month. 

"But at the same time, I would say that I have a lot of love for New England," Mayo continued during his answer. "I have a lot of love for the fans, the people around the building, and my family, they love it here as well. So, that would be great if I could stay here and continue to progress throughout my career, but we’ll see. And honestly, there’s really no anxiety to it. I’m not trying to get too spiritual, but wherever God wants to take me, I’ll be ready to go." 

Kraft seemingly will announce a franchise-altering moment as soon as the morning of Jan. 8 after New England finishes the season. It's unclear what that day may mean for Mayo, but the 37-year-old sounds eager to accept the responsibility that will come with anybody taking over for a club and league legend.