Kraft reportedly assured Mayo it would remain Patriots HC in 2025

Robert Kraft isn’t looking to end the Jerod Mayo experiment after the first year.

The Patriots owner assured those close to him and the organization that Mayo would remain the team’s head coach after the 2024 season, Athletics» reported Dianna Russini on Saturday.

As of Saturday, Kraft had yet to publicly comment on Mayo’s status for the 2025 season, amid the team’s disappointing years 3-10. That silence and New England’s recent three-game losing streak, along with the promising play of Drake Maye, have led to speculation about whether the team might consider moving on from Mayo sooner than expected.

However, Kraft believes Mayo should be given more time to establish itself, according to Russini.

“The organization understood from the beginning that this would not go smoothly,” Russini wrote in his Saturday column. “Transitioning into a high-pressure role like this, especially after the legendary [Bill] Belichick has a steep learning curve and mistakes were expected. The Krafts want to give Mayo the opportunity to find his voice, gain his footing, and become the leader they believe he can be. The franchise knows it has its quarterback in Drake Maye, and its coach will have a lead. »

While the Patriots had a disappointing season, Mayo took over a New England team that was less than stellar under Belichick last season. The Patriots went 4-13 in 2023, ranking 30th in yards and tied for last in scoring.

Although Maye has allowed them to improve their play at quarterback, it’s arguable that the Patriots have taken a step back on the field this season. New England remains at the bottom of the league in offensive statistics, ranking 31st in yards and points per game. But their defense has visibly struggled, falling to 20th in yards allowed, 21st in scoring and 31st in defensive DVOA. He ranked seventh, 15th and ninth in those three stats last season.

But the Patriots made no major changes to their roster after their lackluster 2023 campaign, opting to re-sign several of their own free agents with the cap space they had before drafting Maye with the third overall pick general. That’s why an anonymous NFL source told NFL insider Josina Anderson that they would have a hard time believing Mayo would be gone after one season.

“There was never any consideration about it,” the anonymous source told Anderson on Saturday. “The Lions started 3-13 the first year under Dan Campbell, then started 1-6 the next and people were calling for his head. Also, what was going on before Mayo also became head coach? Patience is a virtue.

If the Patriots hope Mayo follows the same path as Campbell, these next few games could be key to proving it. After starting 0-10-1 in Campbell’s first season in 2021, Detroit won three of its final six games that year. One of those wins was a hard-fought battle against a Packers team that only faced Aaron Rodgers for half of that game in Week 18.

But the second of those three wins for Campbell’s team was a 30-12 blowout win over a Cardinals team that was 10-3 at the time and looking to win the NFC West. This win seemingly helped Campbell establish his culture in Detroit.

The Patriots will have a similar opportunity to play spoilsport in the final four weeks of the season. They could further diminish the Cardinals’ playoff hopes on Sunday. A win against the Chargers in Week 17 could knock Los Angeles out of the playoffs depending on how the next few weeks go. They also have two chances against the Bills, and an upset win in either of those games would likely kill Buffalo’s chances of securing the AFC’s No. 1 seed.