Rob Gronkowski Compares Jerod Mayo's Football IQ to Tom Brady

The former New England Patriots tight end sounded off on the team's new head coach.

Jun 10, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo walks to the microphones for a press conference at minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

As we await the first showing from Jerod Mayo taking the field as the New England Patriots' new head coach, there's been no shortage of praise and confidence thrown his way from people who have been with him through the years.

This time, it's former Patriots All-Pro tight end, and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski dishing out some praise for New England's first-year head coach.

On former Patriots WR Julian Edelman's podcast, Games With Names, he and Gronkowski got into a discussion surrounding Mayo and some of their experiences on the roster alongside him when Gronk had some stellar comments to send his way, and even threw some comparisons to Tom Brady in the process:

"Jerod Mayo was just a phenomenon on the football field with lining everyone up, and then also in the meeting rooms as well. He knew where every player needed to be during any situation that occurred on the defensive side of the ball... He was always alert, and you can always tell that was going to translate into the next phase of his life. Huge shout out to Jerod Mayo just showing his coaching abilities even when he was playing... Jerod Mayo was the Tom Brady on the defensive side of the ball getting everyone lined up."

- Rob Gronkowski

Gronk called Jerod Mayo “the Tom Brady on the #Patriots defensive side of the ball” while explaining what made Mayo such a great player (and eventual coach) pic.twitter.com/t467U2Sjy4

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) June 26, 2024

Mayo and Gronkowski were teammates in New England from 2010 to 2015, where the two paired up to win a Super Bowl in 2014. Hearing his feelings towards his leadership ability and awareness on the defensive side of the ball should prove to be super encouraging for Patriots fans not knowing what to expect from their new head coach.

The Patriots will not be under the authority of Bill Belichick for the first time in over 20 seasons, which may inevitably lead to some uncertainty on what's to come for this fresh New England regime. However, if the word around the street is true, Coach Mayo looks like he could be a potential star in the making.

By having the benefit of playing and coaching next to a talent like Belichick, you can easily see how Mayo has managed to pick the brain of the greatest coach of all time, and is now hopeful that extensive experience can translate into a new era of Patriots football during his tenure.

Don't worry Patriots fans, the future of this team sits in good hands.

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