Following the decision to move on from Bill Belichick after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles, a new era of New England Patriots football will begin in 2024. However, it won't be entirely new faces making up the coaching staff. Jerod Mayo, the long-rumored heir apparent to Belichick, was hired to become the 15th head coach in franchise history, and now, it will be former Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington taking over as defensive coordinator for the Pats.

“All signs point to the Patriots promoting DL coach DeMarcus Covington to defensive coordinator,” according to a tweet from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “Should be official early next week, New England has called other candidates to tell them they're out.”

DeMarcus Covington was hired as a coaching assistant in New England back in 2017. The Patriots made back to back Super Bowl appearances in Covington's first two seasons in New England. In 2020, Covington was promoted to defensive line coach. Since then, the Patriots have had just one winning season.

Even as the post-Tom Brady Patriots have struggled mightily to maintain their spot atop the NFL, one area where there was very little slippage was on the defensive side of the ball. Covington will step in as the defensive coordinator of a unit that held opponents to 21.5 points per game in 2023, and was without the 1st round pick, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, for the majority of the season.

The next big decision that Jerod Mayo, Robert Kraft and co. will have to make now is what to do with the #3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The expectation is that New England will select their presumptive quarterback of the future after suffering through a miserable season of Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe under center.