Jerod Mayo, who played his entire NFL career as a linebacker for the New England Patriots, was drafted No. 10 overall in 2008 from the University of Tennessee. He quickly made his mark in his rookie year with 139 tackles, earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Unfortunately, injuries cut Mayo’s playing career short, prompting a shift to coaching. He began as the Patriots’ linebackers coach under Bill Belichick and was promoted to head coach, which was a feel-good story entering the 2024 NFL season.
However, the Patriots fired Mayo after just one season. Let’s examine how much the Patriots will have to pay Mayo even though he made it just one year into his deal.
What Was Jerod Mayo’s Contract and Salary With the Patriots?
Mayo was reportedly earning $3.5 million per season with the Patriots, which made him the 18th-highest-paid head coach in the NFL (tied with Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel).
It’s unclear exactly how many years Mayo had remaining on his contract, but the Patriots will continue to pay him over the next few seasons.
Mayo’s promotion initially sparked some controversy, as the Patriots did not interview any external candidates. He was promoted because of a clause in his contract that said he would succeed Belichick. Robert Kraft reportedly spent years preparing Mayo to take over, so it’s somewhat shocking that he was given just one year at the helm of the team.
The NFL was aware of this set-up, and this isn’t the first time this kind of thing happened.
Jim Mora (Seattle Seahawks in 2009), Jim Caldwell (Indianapolis Colts in 2009), and Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens general manager in 2018) were all promoted without external selection procedures.
Now, the Patriots will once again go through a coaching search in order to find Mayo’s replacement.
On Sunday, the Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in their final game of the season, dropping from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the No. 4 pick. This win was too little, too late for Mayo, and it ultimately hurt New England more than it helped.
While it’s unfortunate that Mayo was fired just one season into his first stint as a head coach, he has done really well for himself throughout his coaching and playing careers, so he’ll be fine in the long run.
Mayo has a net worth of approximately $16 million, and he is still only 38 years old, so he will likely get other coaching opportunities in the near future.