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In 2024, Jerod Mayo was afforded one of the toughest asks in recent NFL memory: replace all-time legend Bill Belichick as the head coach of the New England Patriots.
Now granted, Mayo has been the guy in NE for years now, to the point where it was literally written into his contract that he would replace the long-time clipboard holder in Foxboro, but that task is still easier said than done, as every move he makes will be judged fairly or not against one of the greatest coaches to ever do it.
Discussing how he's attempted to create his own culture in New England after decades of Belichick's hoodie-clad coaching style, Mayo reveals how keeping a consistent message with his players has helped to keep expectations clear, as he told his reporters on Friday.
“As a leader, I think the one thing they want is consistency, and hopefully that permeates throughout the organization. As you continue to try to build on a culture, I think the attitude of not getting too high and too low is a good mark of a leader,” Mayo told reporters. “I would also say that it's a good thing that our quarterback is pretty much the same way, and hopefully that continues to permeate throughout the rest of the group. We have guys on this team that we talk about every Wednesday, it's changing the page no matter what happens. If you ride that rollercoaster of emotion, whether it's through reading articles, social media, not playing as much or as well as you would like to play, if you ride that rollercoaster, it turns into a toxic environment. We try to keep that out of here.”
At 3-10, the Patriots haven't exactly hit the ground running in their pursuit of a new dynasty, but the team has played well under Mayo and there has seldom been even a whisper about replacing him with anyone else this offseason. With Maye bought into the Patriots' system under Mayo, it's safe to say New England has the right man for the job in place, at least for now.
Drake Maye reflects on his first-ever Patriots bye week
Using his weekly media session to discuss his first-ever bye week in the NFL, Maye reflected on having some time to contextualize the season on his own terms, which included watching some NFL football as a fan.”Yeah, we were here until Tuesday and got a practice in then. I went home and reset. I still watched football like a fan. I watched some college games. Those conference championships were pretty cool,” Maye told reporters. “I watched some NFL games on Sunday, but I really just kept looking on Arizona. You can't go a week without at least carrying a little preview into what they do. I got back this past weekend and I'm looking forward to getting out there.”
With just four games left to play in the 2024 NFL season, the Patriots aren't playing for a spot in the postseason or anything other than personal pride. While that may be a bit of a disappointment for fans in New England, it should still prove valuable for Maye, Mayo, and the entire organization moving forward.
