Vols legend Jerod Mayo is already dealing with a mini controversy as the Patriots' head coach

Former Tennessee Vols linebacker Jerod Mayo is quickly learning why former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was famously unquotable during his often mundane media sessions. 

Mayo, who was named as Belichick's successor in New England earlier this offseason, hasn't even made it to training camp yet and he's already dealing with a mini controversy because of the media. 

This past weekend, during rookie minicamps, Mayo candidly discussed rookie quarterback Drake Maye's first time on the field in a Patriots uniform. 

Mayo told reporters that Maye, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, has a lot to work on. 

“Early impressions of Drake? Look, he has a lot to work on,” said Mayo. “A lot to work on. But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. You didn’t see him out here yesterday, but he was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else.”

That's a harmless comment about a rookie quarterback who was stepping onto an NFL practice field for the first time. Of course he has a lot to work on -- that's true of every single rookie that was selected in last month's draft. 

Mayo's comments, however, were the subject of numerous headlines that said something like "Jerod Mayo says Drake Maye has a lot to work on". 

And that's just the start of Mayo's comments getting blown out of proportion. 

Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress suggested on The Carton Show on Monday that New England might already regret drafting Maye. And he used Mayo's comments to support his take.