Jerod Mayo’s first season as the New England Patriots head coach was never going to be easy. He had to replace Bill Belichick, arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history, and also build the offense from scratch with a rookie quarterback.
The fans knew that the team would not win many games this year, but they are now concerned about the lack of effort on the field. The Patriots lost 40-7 at home to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, which sparked many negative reactions on social media toward the team’s head coach and general manager.
Patriots Fans Call Out Jerod Mayo After Blowout Loss vs. Chargers
Mayo played eight seasons for the Patriots as a linebacker and won a Super Bowl. He has been on the coaching staff since 2019, and after coaching linebackers for five seasons, the 38-year-old eventually became the head coach.
Belichick was the head coach and general manager of the team, and after his departure, the Patriots brought in Eliot Wolf to aid Mayo in building the roster. The AFC East team’s roster is considered one of the worst in the league, and apart from Drake Maye, the new HC-GM duo failed to find productive players in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Here’s how the fans reacted after the Patriots’ loss to the Chargers:
Absolute malpractice. I really can’t get my head around keeping Mayo for year 2
— Kerry Brown (@TheBrown58) December 28, 2024
“Embarrassing. FIRE ALL OF THEM and start over with Vrabel. Stop the circus. Stop the chaos,” wrote Nick Cattles on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Mayo isn’t the guy. Fire his a** and hire [Mike] Vrabel,” added another fan.
I’m officially out on Jerod Mayo. Clean house beside Maye and Christian Gonzalez. That game was embarrassing.
— lukeardizzone14 (@lukeardizzone14) December 28, 2024
“In the NFL, people get fired for moves like this,” said one fan about the Patriots’ decision to draft Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker instead of Ladd McConkey, who scored a brace against the Pats in Week 17.
Another fan added, “[Eliot] Wolf trading out of drafting McConkey and ending up with two guys at the same position who won’t be in the league in 2 years is a fireable offense.”
Fire. Jerod. Mayo. https://t.co/f6clBBRrYJ
— Banner 18 (@Banner18LFG) December 28, 2024
The Patriots were well positioned to draft McConkey in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they traded back with the Chargers to instead draft Polk and Baker. In 15 games this season, the Chargers wideout has 77 catches for 1,054 yards and seven touchdowns and has become a reliable option for Justin Herbert.
In comparison, Polk has 12 receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns on the season, while Baker is yet to record a reception and has played just 7% of the team’s offensive snaps.
The Patriots’ head coach and general manager should be under pressure as the team is 3-13 on the season. While team owner Robert Kraft might not fire either of them after the season, both Mayo and Wolf have to construct a better roster in the offseason to ensure the team at least gets to be part of the race to make the playoffs in 2025.
Patriots Have the Tools To Build Around Drake Maye in 2025
Maye has been the most promising thing to come out of the Patriots’ 2024 NFL season. The third overall pick initially was the backup quarterback and worked behind Jacoby Brissett, but he never looked back after getting his opportunity.
In 12 games, he has thrown for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, completing 66.8% of his throws with a passer rating of 88.3. He has also rushed for 421 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries.
With a better roster around their star rookie, the Patriots could possibly be a tough team to beat next season. Moreover, the team has the tools required to improve the team via the draft and free agency.
READ MORE: NFL Insider Reveals Patriots’ Heavy Interest in Tee Higgins
The Patriots will likely have a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and currently have nine picks in total for the next draft. Per Spotrac, they are also projected to have the most salary cap space in the league next year, with the general manager having $132.2 million to work with.
New England is expected to be in a position to draft a superstar like Travis Hunter in the draft, and he will be a huge addition to the team. The Patriots are also linked with a big free agency move for Tee Higgins, who, although he has expressed his desire to stay with the Cincinnati Bengals, could be persuaded due to the amount of money Mayo’s team can offer.
The Patriots have enough money and draft capital to build a roster that should produce exciting football in 2025. If Wolf and Mayo fail in the offseason, the chances of them getting fired will be quite high.