During the 2023 season, there was a lot of speculation that this would be Bill Belichick’s final year as head coach and general manager of the Patriots, largely due to the lack of success since Tom Brady left in 2020. All signs pointed to this being the case at the end of the season, so the eventual announcement wasn’t too surprising.
That then sparked fierce debates about who could replace the longtime coach. Not many people want to be the first to take over a franchise after a guy like Belichick, so it seemed like the options were probably limited.
Numerous rumors pointed to the former Patriots position, with the focus being on recently fired former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and the promotion of Jerod Mayo to the role. Rumor had it that Robert Kraft had his eye on Vrabel because of his years of experience running a team, only to officially introduce Mayo as Belichick’s successor just days after his departure.
Reporters revealed that this had been the Patriots owner’s plan from the beginning, as it was reportedly part of Mayo’s new contract from last season. But the idea that he knew the end was near for Belichick didn’t sit well with many, even if they ultimately agreed with the decision.
Although most have already put the discussion to rest, Mayo’s tenure has been called into question as early as the first two weeks of the 2024 season. Some have begun to label him a “player’s coach” who has accomplished things Belichick could never do. Others believe he has made too many mistakes, creating the impression that he is not ready for the job.
Regardless of what analysts and fans believe, Kraft just dropped a bombshell when he decided just before the only primetime game of the season on Thursday Night Football between the Patriots and the Jets that Mayo would be the team’s next head coach.
When the Patriots took the field in Week 3, Kraft spoke with Taylor Rooks and detailed the culture Mayo wants to bring to the team in the post-Belichick era.
At the time, the owner announced that he had named Mayo as the next head coach, long before anyone could have expected it.
“Jerod (Mayo) learned a lot from Bill (Belichick) on the technical side. But each of them is a special person. I’ve gotten to know Jerod over the last 15 years and named him our next head coach five years ago… it’s great that he had the opportunity to coach under Bill.”
.@Patriots Owner Robert Kraft talks to @TaylorRooks about the culture that Jerod Mayo brings to the team.#TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/GItteIC0iA
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) 19 September 2024
This throws a little sand into the discussion about the supposedly deteriorating relationship between Kraft and Belichick, as this new detail seems to indicate or even confirm that things may have been going downhill for much longer than the past two chaotic years.
