Will Patriots fire Jerod Mayo? Latest rumors about New England coach's status

The New England Patriots ended one of the NFL's most remarkable runs of coaching stability when they fired Bill Belichick after 24 years as the team's head coach following the 2023 season.

At the time, Patriots owner Robert Kraft believed he had the ideal replacement for Belichick: Jerod Mayo. The former New England linebacker spent five years on the Patriots' coaching staff as their inside linebackers coach and was instrumental in coordinating the team's defense under Belichick.

As such, Mayo was expected to provide a unique combination of continuity and a fresh perspective as the Patriots made the difficult decision to move on from a legendary coach.

However, Mayo's first year in New England hasn't gone smoothly. The Patriots posted a 3-13 record through the first 17 weeks of the NFL season and entered Week 18 on pace to own the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

As a result, Mayo's job security has come into question. Could the Patriots end up making him a one-and-done coach in the post-Belichick era? Here's what to know about Mayo's status as the NFL's Black Monday approaches.

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Will Patriots fire Jerod Mayo?

It isn't clear whether the Patriots will fire Mayo, but NFL insiders painted his status as murky entering Week 18.

For most of the 2024 NFL season, Mayo was considered to be safe, as the consensus was that Kraft and Co. would at least give Mayo two years to prove himself as Belichick's successor.

But on ESPN's NFL Countdown, Adam Schefter stated that he believed the Patriots were "leaning out" on Mayo after the team endured a difficult month-long stretch to close the season.

"All along, the Kraft family has wanted to stand by him and give him support," Schefter said of Mayo. "He was the hand-chosen successor to Bill Belichick. 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; and it feels like within the organization there's been a shift. There's nervous people inside the building right now."

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Schefter isn't the only one to note changing dynamics in the Patriots' building. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reports that there is "less confidence" that the Kraft family will "stay the course" with Mayo and general manager Eliot Wolf just a year after hiring them.

"The Krafts are sympathetic to Mayo’s situation," Breer wrote. "He was elevated a year or two before they intended to have him succeed Bill Belichick. The roster he inherited was a mess—one that Belichick himself could only squeeze four wins from in 2023. Mayo’s predecessor’s presence hung over the Patriots’ operation, with Belichick’s media commentary and his old relationships in the building still lingering.

"And while the team has played hard for the most part for Mayo, questions have emerged about his ability to tactically manage the staff, and build a program – because the hope was that, by now, even if the roster prevented wins from coming, the vision would be clear."

Breer added that there will likely be staffing changes in 2025 regardless of whether they involve Mayo and Wolf.

So, either way, the Patriots appear to be heading toward another offseason of change.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Patriots fire Jerod Mayo? Latest rumors from NFL insiders