Jerod Mayo thanks Robert Kraft for keeping preseason promise after Patriots Week 1 win

When Robert Kraft announced the Patriots were moving on from Bill Belichick as the team's head coach and general manager earlier this year, there were a lot of questions about who would replace the tenured legendary coach in both areas. He had held down both positions for the entirety of his time in New England, making the shoes for the incoming new hire far bigger than normal.

That made Jerod Mayo's hiring questionable to many, not just because of his inexperience as a coach with no time spent as a coordinator. But it was the rumors that suggested Kraft didn't want to promote the former linebacker for another year or two, only to make it happen far earlier due to firing Belichick.

It prompted the belief that Kraft and several other staffers would make their presence known in decision-making, with the biggest concern surrounding their involvement in building the 2024 roster.

The Patriots owner shut it down early on when speaking to reporters, reiterating his intent not to get involved in football operations and wanting to leave that up to those who work directly with the players and daily work.

But based on some of the events leading up to their regular season opener, there was chatter suggesting the Krafts were getting more involved than they initially led on.

Fortunately, Mayo seemed to address the rumors without even realizing it when speaking to the media after the Patriots beat the Bengals 16-10 on Sunday, seemingly putting any worry to rest regarding how things are handled behind the scenes.

Jerod Mayo thanks the Kraft Family for keeping a crucial promise ahead of the regular season

Among the various topics the head coach spoke about after securing his first win in his new role, Mayo made sure to thank the Patriots owner for how he has handled business this offseason, particularly with a new staff making the decisions surrounding the roster and game planning.

It was a sigh of relief for many fans who felt there was a lack of trust from the higher-ups in Mayo, given how some of his comments to reporters have been poorly received or picked apart, but his emphasis that Kraft is staying out of the way was a surefire sign that concerns are no longer necessary, at least for now.

It's a great sign of respect and trust from the Krafts to forfeit their power after allegedly feeling like they had none during the later years of Belichick's tenure.

They very easily could have gone the complete other way upon putting an inexperienced coach into the role, but they seem to understand the power of allowing the new staff to do their job without being coddled or micro-managed.

Hopefully, this will remain the case as the season progresses, even if the Patriots suffer a few losses or something unfavorable occurs. It could benefit Mayo in the long term and improve the morale in the locker room, which has been significantly lacking over the past few years.

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