Jerod Mayo replacements: 5 candidates who'll bring Patriots back to glory days ft. Mike Vrabel

Patriots owner Robert Kraft replaced Bill Belichick with Jerod Mayo last offseason. He moved on from the legendary coach because he felt that the six-time Super Bowl champion couldn't create a second dynasty. However, this season has not panned out how the New England chief would have wanted it to.

They came into the Week 18 matchup against the Bills with a 3-13 record. They were in contention for the top seed in the 2025 NFL draft but the Patriots' win against Buffalo ensured they finished 4-13 and missed out on that as well. Robert Kraft decided to pull the plug after the game ended and the bloodbath that generally happens on Black Monday had already begun.

The New England owner now needs to recruit a new head coach and here are five he could consider.

Potential replacements for Jerod Mayo as Patriots HC

#5 - Kliff Kingsbury, OC, Washington Commanders

The Patriots took Drake Maye in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft and he first sat behind Jacoby Brissett before running for his life behind a crumbling offensive line when he became the starter. Meanwhile, his fellow first-rounder, Jayden Daniels is the favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award and has led the Commanders to the playoffs.

A lot of his success can be attributed to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. With Washington coach Dan Quinn coming from the defensive side of the ball, Jayden Daniels has reached the heights he has because of the former Cardinals head coach.

#4 - Steve Spagnuolo, DC, Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are the AFC top seed and have the best record in the NFL. However, this year's success is not down to the brilliance of Patrick Mahomes. The quarterback has made some exceptional plays but he has not been as good as he has been in previous years, not even making the Pro Bowl in 2024.

The reason they have remained competitive is because of how well their defense has held up. Steve Spagnuolo has been phenomenal as a defensive coordinator and deserves a chance to be a head coach again.

#3 - Ben Johnson, OC, Detroit Lions

For the whole year, Ben Johnson has been linked to every opening in the NFL. He did miracles last year and has outdone himself in 2024. He has the Lions competing for the top seed in the NFC. His offense is littered with mind-blowing designs and trick concepts, and it would be surprising if he is not a head coach himself next season.

Jared Goff has found a new lease of life under his tutelage and he will have a chance to work with Drake Maye at the Patriots. Whatever else Jerod Mayo's faults were, he left behind a good team with a lot of salary cap space to work with. The Lions offensive coordinator might relish the opportunity to restore a fallen franchise.

#2 - Brian Daboll, HC, New York Giants

While Jerod Mayo was the first head coach to go after the end of the regular season, there is every chance that Brian Daboll could follow shortly. They finished even worse than the Patriots with a 3-14 record. If he is fired, then New England should look to bring him in.

He has experience on two fronts. He was instrumental in developing Josh Allen into the quarterback he is. Additionally, his experience in Buffalo gives him an advantage over other competitors because he knows the AFC East well. He is also the only one on this list who has head coaching experience this season and Robert Kraft knows from the Jerod Mayo experiment that coordinators do not automatically become good at taking charge of the entire team.

#1 - Mike Vrabel, Consultant, Cleveland Browns

The Tennessee Titans fired Mike Vrabel last offseason after they failed to make the playoffs. Many commented at the time that it was hardly his fault for where the franchise was as he was having to work with Ryan Tannehill and Will Levis as his quarterbacks and did not have offensive weapons. The Titans finishing 3-14 and ending up with potentially the first pick of the 2025 NFL draft has only cemented that opinion.

He is also a former linebacker who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots during his playing career and is an inductee in the franchise's Hall of Fame. He knows the New England way and he would be among the favorites to succeed Jerod Mayo. The only thing that could potentially worry Robert Kraft, though, is that he is a defensive head coach and his predecessor also came from the same side of the ball and did not quite work out as he had hoped.