It’s anybody’s guess when longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will announce his retirement, but one thing is certain: He won’t step away for good until there’s a convincing succession plan in place.
Many thought that longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would one day serve as Belichick’s replacement, especially after the former backed out of an offer to coach the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. But of course, McDaniels left New England last year to take the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching position.
One person to keep an eye on as a potential successor to Belichick? Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, who’s about to receive a long-term extension from the organization.
Responding to a tweet from Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston, NFL reporter Dov Kleiman suggested that Mayo could be the successor to Belichick, who turns 71 years of age in April.
Mayo spent his entire playing career for the Patriots, which spanned from 2008 to 2015. The two-time Pro Bowler and 2010 First-team All-Pro won a Super Bowl 49 ring with the organization in the 2014 season.
The 36-year-old Mayo returned to the Patriots in 2019 for the inside linebackers coach position. New England has posted a top-10 scoring defense in three of the last four years, ranking 11th in the 2022 season (20.4 points allowed per game).
