Jerod Mayo just made a promise to the Patriots that he cannot walk back now

The first year as a head coach has been far from ideal for Jerod Mayo, besides the typical blowback he was expected to receive as the first person to take over the Patriots after the long tenure of Bill Belichick. While the 2024 season was not projected to be a good one, the team has appeared to regress in areas that should have gotten better and only slightly improved where they weren't expected to, most notably the offense with Drake Maye.

The rookie quarterback has become the shining light of an otherwise forgettable season, and because of that, Mayo has been the main target of a disgruntled fanbase week after week.

In many ways, it's warranted, as New England enters their Week 14 bye with a 3-10 record and has lost a handful of games by one score or less. But in other ways, it's a matter of impatience and lack of understanding of the unfavorable situation the new regime took over.

However, it doesn't entirely negate much of the criticism Mayo has received over the past three months of the regular season, and will likely continue to hear about through the offseason, as well. With his job consistently considered to be on the line despite the countless reports of the contrary, the head coach addressed his struggles as a rookie in the position and made a promise to Patriots fans that he'll have to deliver or risk even more scrutiny.

Jerod Mayo's assertion about his head coaching future is a promise he will (hopefully) keep

During a candid interview with NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran earlier this week, Mayo didn't shy away from discussing his shortcomings this season and addressed the barrage of criticism he has received because of it.

While talking about what he's realized in his first year as a head coach, Mayo acknowledged the expectation that he will massively improve with experience in Year 2 and seemingly promised that will indeed happen.

“I still have a lot to learn as the head coach of this football team, and I’ve understood that. It’s a very different role, and I tell players this same thing, ‘The biggest jump that you’ll ever have in your career is from Year 1 to Year 2,’ as far as becoming a better player, a better professional.

I’m sure, one hundred percent, that I’ll be a better coach in Year 2 than I am in Year 1. I would also say, when you’re out there on the field, for me, at least, I’ll always try to do what is best for the football team. We’re always trying to win every game.”

He's not wrong about coaches and players making a second-year jump, as that is commonly discussed about their struggles during their rookie season. Given that he was never a coordinator before being handed the keys to the New England Patriots, there would be a learning curve that we would witness throughout the 2024 season, much of which meant he deserved some leniency due to his inexperience.

Next year, however, he won't be given so much grace, especially with a quarterback looking like he will be the face of the franchise for a long time. The new regime will need to prove they are the right ones for the job, assuming they remain in their current roles throughout the 2025 offseason and learn from the mistakes they made this year.

Otherwise, Robert Kraft might find himself in a more undesirable situation than he believed he would a year after letting go of the greatest coach of all time.

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