Pressure is building around Jerod Mayo, after the head coach of the New England Patriots heard fans chanting for him to be fired during Week 17’s 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Those chants were heard by Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Fortunately for Mayo, he has the backing of two senior players. Defensive linemen Deatrich Wise Jr. and Davon Godchaux offered strong reactions to the chants heard from sections of Gillette Stadium on Saturday, December 28.
Wise, a team captain, credited Mayo with “doing a great job, keeping us motivated and prepared and locked in on our goals every week. It’s up to the players. Coaches coach, players play. I only speak about myself, and I felt like there were a lot of games I could have played better to help the team win. I feel like Mayo is putting people in the right positions, he’s very positive but also criticizes people in a motivating way,” per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Those sentiments were echoed by nose tackle Godchaux. He was more blunt about criticism from the fans, according to Reiss: “The guy’s in his first season. It’s not going to be golden. We didn’t expect to win a Super Bowl this year. I get it, nobody wants to get beaten 40-7, but the chant is ridiculous.”
Preaching patience makes sense for veterans who have experienced their share of ups and downs in the NFL. Yet, Mayo may need more than kind words to keep his job after an embarrassing defeat, the 13th of the season, one marked by more mixed messages from a coach who mishandled a confusing change to the starting lineup.
Those factors explain why other Patriots players don’t sound quite so supportive.
Patriots Players Express Contrasting Views About Head Coach
The line from Wise and Godchaux is consistent. They want Mayo to be given the time to put his own stamp firmly on a rebuilding team, something that’s hard to achieve during just a single season.
As Wise put it, “I don’t think we should write him off right now. A lot of coaches start off tough, but there are multiple coaches who are OK now and in the playoffs. I feel like we need to continue to believe in Coach and he’ll find a way to make everything right next year.”
Godchaux agrees, but he did state the need for collective improvement: “Everybody plays a part in this. It isn’t just Jerod Mayo. Players. Coaches. Front office. We just have to get better as a whole organization. I believe in this organization. We just had probably the best team in the NFL right now on the ropes last week [in Buffalo]. I don’t believe in all that other ridiculous stuff. The guy is in his first year. It’s just ridiculous.”
There’s nothing unreasonable here. Not when Mayo is a rookie in the top job. Not when the 38-year-old inherited a 4-13 team undermined by years of bad drafting, some misguided spending in free agency and the inability to replace quarterback Tom Brady.
Those problems were the fault of Mayo’s decorated predecessor, six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick. What’s worrying is how many of the same problems persist on Mayo’s watch.
Belichick struggled to draft quality wide receivers, something Mayo and general manager Eliot Wolf haven’t been able to remedy. Not by trading the 34th pick in the 2025 NFL draft to eventually select wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.
Polk and Baker have barely made a dent, while the Chargers chose Ladd McConkey with the 34th pick. McConkey “has 1,000+ yards and 6 TDs,” while “Polk + Baker have 87 yards,” according to Chad Graff of The Athletic.
A Patriots defense that’s declined rapidly under Mayo was burned for eight catches, 94 yards and two touchdowns. His performance summed up the misguided draft strategy from Mayo and Wolf.
They also bungled free agency with flop signings like left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, defensive tackle Armon Watts and wide receiver K.J. Osborn. None of whom even lasted a full season in New England.
It’s no wonder other important players are calling for change.
Jerod Mayo Can’t Ignore Internal Calls for Change
Wise and Godchaux may be content for Mayo to put things right, but Keion White doesn’t sound as patient. The versatile defensive end answered, “I hope so, if changes aren’t made, then what are we doing? Again, NFL is a production based business, so if we’re not doing anything to change our production, which is loss, what are we doing?,” when asked if changes are coming, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
White is joined by the Patriots leading receiver, DeMario Douglas, in venting frustration about a lengthy losing run with Mayo in charge. Douglas wants to see something different to help alter results.
In comments made to the media and relayed by New England Sports Fellow, Douglas said, “I feel like my two years, I’ve been losing, and I feel like it’s time to make a change. We got some pieces, we’ll add more pieces next year and feel like we could come out and do something, you know.”
Douglas’ reference to two years worth of losing could be significant for Mayo. Like White, Douglas is a fellow member of Belichick’s final draft class, so they’ve both lost 26 games since entering the pros.
Those defeats started piling up under Belichick, so maybe Mayo will be given some leeway. That would make sense, but a second season for Mayo will be a tougher sell if there’s another defeat like the humiliating one at the hands of the Chargers.
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