Patriots assistant Jerod Mayo might not be getting a new job title after all

Feb 2, 2023 - 7:26 PM

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Keeping linebackers coach Jerod Mayo around is a priority for the New England Patriots this offseason, and it sure looks like they will be able to complete the task. The 36-year-old turned down both interview opportunities he received, and is expected to sign a new contract extension with the team.

The details of that deal are not known at this point in time, but it is safe to assume that Mayo will earn a pay raise. What he will apparently not get, however, is a new title.

According to a report by Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, “his overall role could change” but “we should pump the brakes” on Mayo also receive a new job title moving forward.

That report does come as a surprise, especially considering that Mayo declined to interview for a head coaching position (Carolina) and a defensive coordinator spot (Cleveland).

Those two decisions plus the Patriots announcing in January that they were in talks with Mayo, led to some speculation that he might be promoted to either assistant head coach or defensive coordinator as part of his new contract. There also was talk about him possibly being groomed to take over as head coach whenever Bill Belichick decides to step down.

While all of that could be in the cards for Mayo eventually, it looks like he might still carry the “linebackers coach” label heading into 2023. That does, of course, not mean he will only work with that position group.

Mayo, after all, reportedly was a participant in the Patriots’ offensive coordinator interviews last month. He also joined the other senior members of the team’s coaching staff in holding a supervisory role at the East-West Shrine Bowl.

A first-round draft pick by New England in 2008, Mayo appeared in 111 regular season and playoff games for the team. A series of injuries forced him to retire in 2015, but he returned four years later to take over as New England’s inside linebackers coach.

Over the next four seasons, he carved out a crucial role on the team’s defensive staff — serving as a de facto co-coordinator alongside fellow assistant Steve Belichick. Nonetheless, he was never promoted beyond position coach and it appears that such a move will also not be in the cards for him this time around.