Patriots Owner Picked Jerod Mayo Five Years Ago

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft made his choice of Jerod Mayo five years ago.

Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo (L) and owner Robert Kraft pose for photos after a press conference announcing Mayo's hiring as the team's head coach at Gillette Stadium. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots came into this season entering a new era for the franchise.

During the offseason, the Patriots opted to part ways with legendary head coach Bill Belichick. To replace him, they opted to stay in-house with Jerod Mayo.

It was a move that shook the landscape of the NFL. Belichick didn't find a new job and is sitting out the 2024 NFL season. However, he's expected to be a top candidate for any coaching opening next offseason.

Mayo, on the other hand, has started off his tenure as the New England head coach with a 1-1 record. He has led the team to a much more competitive start than many were expecting.

Ahead of tonight's game against the New York Jets, Robert Kraft spoke out about the decision to hire Mayo to replace Belichick. He stated that he made that decision five years ago.

"Jerod [Mayo] learned a lot from Bill [Belichick] in the technical background. But they're each special individuals. I've gotten to know Jerod over the last 15 years and, you know, I picked him 5 years ago to be our next head coach...it's great that he had the ability to train under Bill."

Robert Kraft: "Jerod [Mayo] learned a lot from Bill [Belichick] in the technical background. But they're each special individuals. I've gotten to know Jerod over the last 15 years and, you know, I picked him 5 years ago to be our next head coach...it's great that he had the… https://t.co/cBG8CsJYVw

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) September 19, 2024

So far, it appears that Kraft made the right choice.

Mayo has already won over his players and he has started a fresh culture. The Patriots play an old-school smash-mouth style of football.

Offensively, they focus on the run. Defensively, they play fast and cause chaos.

Fans have enjoyed watching the first two weeks. They can only hope that New England comes ready to play tonight. If they can pull off a win over the Jets, they would turn a lot of heads.

Expect to see the Patriots continue playing hard under Mayo. Kraft has to be feeling good about his choice for the team's new head coach.

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