(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
After 24 historic seasons, Bill Belichick left his post as New England Patriots head coach on Thursday, which immediately led to plenty of speculation about who would succeed him.
The Patriots wasted no time in finding a successor, and that successor is Jerod Mayo, who spent the last few years as an assistant under Belichick.
It isn’t quite the sexy hire some fans were likely hoping for, but linebacker Matthew Judon says he and his teammates are “really excited” about the hire, per NFL on ESPN.
“That’s a homegrown talent and a coach, so I think we’re really excited.”
Matthew Judon on Jerod Mayo being named head coach of the Patriots pic.twitter.com/UKCsPBmsiu
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 12, 2024
Mayo played eight seasons in the NFL from 2008 to 2015, all of them with the Patriots, and although he suffered a season-ending injury during the 2014 season, he was present when they won the Super Bowl championship over the Seahawks.
The current iteration of the Patriots needs lots of help at multiple positions, including quarterback, and is years away from being competitive again, let alone contending for a spot in the Super Bowl, which should give Mayo some time to grow into his new role.
The group went just 4-13 this season and finished near the bottom of the league in multiple offensive categories, and benched QB Mac Jones multiple times due to poor play.
None of New England’s players reached 600 receiving yards and only one — rookie Demario Douglas — had as many as 500 receiving yards this year.
The Patriots and their fans have been spoiled by the immense success Belichick and legendary quarterback Tom Brady brought them, and they’re starting to learn the reality of how hard it is to rebuild successfully in the NFL.
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