The New England Patriots have yet to publicly commit to bringing Jerod Mayo back in 2025, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes there is a good reason for that.
During the Week 18 edition of “Sunday NFL Countdown,” Schefter hosted a segment called “Safe or Out” where he predicted what the future holds for several coaches who are viewed as being on the hot seat. The reporter began with Mayo and the Patriots, and he said he is leaning toward Mayo being fired.
“All along the Kraft family has wanted to stand by him and give him support. He was the hand-chosen successor to Bill Belichick,” Schefter said. “But over the last 30 days or so, the team has struggled. They’ve lost at home. Fans have been angered. They’ve been apathetic. It feels like within the organization, there’s been a shift. There are nervous people inside the building right now, and we are gonna go leaning out right now for Jerod Mayo.”
A spin on the NFL coaching carousel. pic.twitter.com/VqBSp7CSq2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2025
At the very least, that likely means Mayo is not safe. If Robert Kraft and the Patriots’ ownership group had already decided on bringing Mayo back, they could have easily leaked that information to Schefter or any other notable reporter. It says a lot that they chose not to do that.
The Patriots have lost six straight heading into their season finale against the Buffalo Bills. Fans have openly expressed their displeasure with the team during the poor stretch. Though, some players have fired back at the fans in defense of Mayo.
Kraft had enough confidence in Mayo to promise the 38-year-old a head coach job without conducting an open search. Many believe Kraft will give Mayo another season because of that, but Mayo has had some embarrassing mishaps late in the year.
A loss to Buffalo would secure the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for the Patriots. Most fans want to see the team lose, and some of them have laid out a multi-step plan that also involves Mayo being fired.
