Patriots' 3x Super Bowl champ makes feelings known on Jerod Mayo after Bill Belichick's "bottom of the barrel" stint

The New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's decision to promote Jerod Mayo to head coach from Inside Linebackers Coach in 2024 was a seismic shift for the franchise. It came after 25 years under Bill Belichick, who established the Patriots as a football dynasty.

Now, appearing on the "Up & Adams" show, former Patriots safety, Devin McCourty, shared his insights about his former team, who are already out of playoffs.

“I think he’ll [Mayo] be back next year,” McCourty began by balancing optimism with a dose of realism.

He added:

"But I would say overall, in this league, you can never just say something's definite until, like, someone comes out and says, this person will be back... I don't think there's this feeling of, hey, we're safe, we're good."

McCourty continued:

"I think there is a little bit of a sense of urgency in the edge from everybody there. I think obviously last year was the bottom of the barrel, and to think that this year was just going to instantly rise, I think, is a stretch, so I would, I would think and hope he's back to get an opportunity to turn this around and not do it in a few months, and think everything's going to be perfect.”

Before giving his take, McCourty revealed that there were "Fire Mayo” chants reverberating through the crowd last Saturday.

Jerod Mayo played with the New England Patriots from 2008–2015 and has one Super Bowl under his belt. In 2019, he returned to the organization in the coaching ranks.

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Devin McCourty rejected Jerod Mayo's pitch of coaching the New England Patriots

Earlier this year in May, Devin McCourty revealed how New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo attempted to recruit him to join his coaching staff. However, the pitch didn’t land as intended.

“He tried to get me to coach,” McCourty revealed during an episode of Up & Adams with Kay Adams.

Laughing off the suggestion, McCourty continued:

“That’s his thing with all the older guys. He says, ‘I don’t know if they’ll walk in back to play, but we’ve got a spot for them on the staff.’ But, no, those hours aren’t meant for my life right now. Not at all.”

McCourty, who retired in 2023 after 13 seasons with the Patriots has chosen a different path. He is now an NFL Analyst on NBC’s Football Night in America.

From 2010 to 2015, Devin McCourty and Jerod Mayo shared the field as teammates for five years with the New England Patriots. They also celebrated the Super Bowl XLIX win together.