Breer: Krafts still ‘solidly behind’ Jerod Mayo originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Robert Kraft isn’t second-guessing his decision to hire Jerod Mayo as a first-year head coach despite the New England Patriots’ 2-7 start to the season.
On Sunday’s Patriots Pregame Live, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shed light on the Kraft family’s commitment to Mayo as the man to lead New England through its post-Bill Belichick rebuild.
“One thing I think you have to start with is how deeply they’ve invested in Jerod Mayo,” Breer said of the Krafts. “The time he was a player there and then obviously working with him outside of football, then bringing him into the football operation. It’s not unlike Jason Garrett’s ascension in Dallas where the owner really is involved and invested in the development of a young coach. And so, I think they knew that Jerod Mayo may be in that position a year earlier than they had expected and then they would have to ride out some bumps. That’s really where they’re at right now.
“My understanding is they remain solidly behind Jerod Mayo. They have sympathy for some of the things that he’s had to deal with this year, some of the noise on the outside. Obviously, the roster is what it is. But they have done some research over the last few weeks on how to handle a young quarterback. Obviously, they failed with Mac Jones from 2021 through 2023. … So that, I think, is the next piece of it. I think Jerod Mayo is on solid ground to be the head coach in 2025 and from there, you have to continue to evolve on your quarterback plan.”
The Mayo-led Patriots entered 2024 with low expectations after going 4-13 in Belichick’s final season. The No. 1 priority for Mayo and Co. this year has been the development of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the team’s third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Maye has looked the part through his first four NFL starts. The 22-year-old has already drawn comparisons to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen with his ability to make plays with his arm and his legs. Building around Maye will be key to the Patriots’ success- and Mayo’s job security- for 2025 and beyond.
