Based off the acrobatics Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have done to try and keep him, Jerod Mayo must be a pretty fine candidate for the Carolina Panthers’ head coaching job.
Mayo has spent his entire NFL career, as both a player and a coach, with New England. He was selected with the 10th overall pick of the 2008 draft and never looked back—earning AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, a First-team All-Pro nod and a pair of Pro Bowl selections over eight seasons.
Following his retirement in 2015, Mayo enjoyed some deserved time off before returning to Foxborough as the team’s inside linebacker coach in 2019. He has excelled in his post since and also served as the pseudo defensive coordinator this past season—as Belichick did not name a play caller for either side of the ball in 2022.
Mayo would bring some doggedness as a defensive-minded head coach. Though inexperienced, he has a particularly bright mind and is extremely dedicated to the game of football.
