At 3-10, the New England Patriots technically have nothing to play for over their final four games of the 2024 season.
But do some members of the organization need to prove they deserve a role with the 2025 team? And is first-year head coach Jerod Mayo on that list?
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Despite multiple reports that Mayo is on stable ground to return in 2025, Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal reported earlier this week that if Patriots owner Robert Kraft "comes to the realization he made the wrong choice with Mayo, he wouldn't hesitate to rectify the situation," presumably by parting with Mayo. Bedard's colleague, Mike Giardi, also wrote this week that he's received "pushback from league sources" for reporting that team president Jonathan Kraft is "as onboard with Mayo as his father (Robert)."
So, what does all of this mean for Mayo's future in New England? Tom E. Curran had Giardi as a guest on the latest Patriots Talk Podcast and shared his own intel about how the Krafts view Mayo.
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🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: Drake Maye’s urgency, Jerod Mayo’s future and Belichick’s move to UNC with Mike Giardi | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"Jonathan Kraft was one million percent behind the hiring of Jerod Mayo. One million," Curran told Giardi. "So, there was no schism at that juncture. And from what I've gathered as the season's gone along, that hadn't wavered at all, the support for him."
But would that support finally waver if, say, the Patriots lose their last four games to finish 3-14, a scenario that's very possible with a slate that features the Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills (twice)?
Giardi told Curran he believes Jonathan Kraft might be more amenable to moving on from Mayo than his father if things get really bad in the final four weeks, but noted it would need to be a true disaster scenario for Mayo's job to be in danger.
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"I don't think the percentage is very high (that Mayo gets fired)," Giardi said. "I think it would have to be a debacle this last month. I think it would have to be, you're losing by 25 points, 30 points a game, or guys just decide, 'I'm not playing,' or Drake Maye says something in the media and you go, 'Did Drake just call out the coaching staff?'
"Then you'd be like, 'Wait a minute now; you feel like you have the franchise pillar at quarterback, which is really hard to do, and he's already starting to wonder about the coaching staff?' Like, those would be the things I'm talking about."
Curran agreed with Giardi, pointing out that Mayo is likely to keep his job even if the team doesn't show much progress in the final four weeks.
"The notion became that he's coaching for his job," Curran said of Mayo. "... But to me, coaching for his job would mean, 'Show me something in the last four games; give me a reason to bring you back,' and I don't think he's there.
"I think status quo or even worse than status quo would be fine."
Also in this episode:
- Drake Maye’s urgency to make the Patriots a playoff team next year
- Expectations for the final four games
- Mike Vrabel the best option to replace Mayo?
