Oscar-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg is also an avid New England Patriots fan and is excited about their new coach and quarterback duo of Jerod Mayo and Drake Maye for the 2024 season and has a record prediction for them.
During an interview with ClutchPoints about his upcoming Netflix movie, The Union (full interview Thursday), Mark Wahlberg shared his record prediction for the Patriots' upcoming season.
“You know what? I'm very confident in coach Mayo, and we're looking good so far in the preseason. I think we'll be better than people think,” he said. “I always say we're going to have a winning to have a winning record, so I'm saying 10-7.”
He then asked for my prediction for my favorite team, the New York Giants, to which I replied a modest ceiling of 7-10. “That sounds a little more realistic,” a smirking Wahlberg replied.
How are the 2024 New England Patriots looking?
![Patriots' Drake Maye under center against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason.](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Patriots-Drake-Maye-under-center-against-the-Carolina-Panthers.jpg)
The New England Patriots just played their first preseason game of the 2024 NFL season. They beat the Carolina Panthers 17-3. Four quarterbacks played, including rookie Drake Maye (who completed two passes for 19 yards). Bailey Zappe topped the group with 108 yards, but Joe Milton was the only one to throw a touchdown.
Jerod Mayo, who played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2015, succeeds Bill Belichick. After over two decades of being the Patriots head coach, Belichick parted ways with the team and remains unsigned. He won six Super Bowl championships for the Patriots during his run.
However, a change was needed. The Patriots finished 4-13 in 2023, the worst record under Belichick, and have struggled since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season. They only had one winning season in the four without Brady under center.
In addition to Maye, the Patriots selected wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk, offensive tackle Caedan Wallace, guard Layden Robinson, wide receiver Javon Baker, cornerback Marcellas Dial, quarterback Joe Milton, and defensive back Jaheim Bell in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Who is Mark Wahlberg?
Mark Wahlberg is an Oscar-nominated actor who first gained fame for his part in the hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. His breakthrough on the big screen came with roles in Renaissance Man, Fear, and Boogie Nights.
As his career progressed, Wahlberg became a leading man in Hollywood. He led blockbusters like The Perfect Storm and Planet of the Apes in the early 2000s. In 2006, Wahlberg starred in Martin Scorsese's The Departed, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Since then, Wahlberg has starred in Shooter, Date Nate, The Other Guys, The Fighter, Ted, and Lone Survivor. In 2014, Wahlberg led Transformers: Age of Extinction and returned in its sequel, The Last Knight. His other notable movies include Deepwater Horizon, Patriots Day, Mile 22, Instant Family, and Father Stu.
In recent years, Wahlberg has upped his work as a producer. He has produced movies he has starred in, such as The Gambler, Joe Bell, Infinite, and The Family Plan.
Coming up, Wahlberg stars in Netflix's The Union with Halle Berry. In it, he plays a construction worker recruited for a globe-trotting mission by his high school girlfriend. He will also reunite with Daddy's Home 2 and Father Stu co-star Mel Gibson when starring in his Flight Risk movie.
The Union will be released on Netflix on August 16.