Former Patriots RB Confident in Jerod Mayo: 'He'll Do A Great Job'

The first-year New England Patriots head coach has some former players on his side.
May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo arrives at the practice fields at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium.  Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo arrives at the practice fields at the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

The hype continues to build surrounding the New England Patriots for the 2024 season. It's a new era of football in Foxboro as first-year head coach Jerod Mayo will take the reigns from the legendary Bill Belichick after over 20 seasons.

However, expectations are a bit unknown when it comes to seeing what Mayo has in store for next season. Coach Belichick has consistently been the standard for New England and their culture since arriving in 2000, so the passing of the baton to a new leader may have fans wondering how things will end up amid the drastic shift.

Yet, those who have been around Mayo, which include current and former players/coaches, seem to love the hire that Robert Kraft and New England made earlier this January-- one of them being long-time Patriots running back and three-time Super Bowl champion, James White.

When talking to Mike Kadlick and Taylor Kyles for Patriots on CLNS, White had some positive vibes to dish out for Mayo, commending his radiating energy and football IQ as some standout traits ahead of his first year on the job:

"I think he'll do a great job. For Mayo as a player, he brought energy... Whether it's competing on the practice field, competing in the locker room, playing games, whatever it may be. And he knew the game front to back. I caught him on the last couple of years of his career, and he was still making an impact at that point. So, I know he's still going to teach the game at a high level. He's going to have those guys competing at a high level."

James White, Patriots RB (2014-21)

White and Mayo were teammates in New England from 2014 to 2015, and also spent some time together while Mayo started his coaching tenure as an assistant with the Patriots, beginning in 2019.

Considering where the Patriots left off in 2023, a new burst of energy and youth in the locker room should be a much-needed addition to a team that suffered from their worst regular season record in recent history. Mayo provides just that and also seems to have the elite football mind to help lead this unit back to the peak of the mountain.

The job won't be a simple one to start, as we know New England will have some struggles notably on the offensive side of the ball as they continue to retool this roster. Still, the Patriots have gathered some valuable franchise cornerstones in the meantime, and their new coach in Mayo will be a part of those core pieces to build with moving forward.

All eyes will be on Mayo as he embarks on a likely challenging task in his first season leading this rebuilding Patriots squad.


Follow New England Patriots On SI over on our Facebook and Twitter/X to stay up to date on all Patriots news and rumors!


Published
Jared Koch

JARED KOCH