Jerod Mayo ‘on solid ground’ for 2025 despite uneven start as Patriots coach

It seems Jerod Mayo won’t be a one-season wonder in New England.

That’s according to The MMQB’s Albert Breer, who reported Sunday that he believes the rookie Patriots coach “is on really solid ground going into 2025” following a bumpy first season, with the team in the AFC East basement at 3-10.

“There are a lot of aspects of the organization that I think will be under evaluation over the next six weeks,” Breer said on “Patriots Pregame Live,” via NBC Sports Boston.

“That said, I do think (the Krafts) have respect for the spot that Jerod Mayo has been in and was in coming into this (season). And all the chatter and the pressure to win and everything else — I actually think they believe he’s handled that pretty well given the circumstances, given his lack of experience being thrust into this role.

“I still think Jerod Mayo is on really solid ground going into 2025. The question is, how different will it look around him? And I think there are fair questions to ask when it comes to that.”

The successor to legendary coach Bill Belichick, Mayo — a former New England linebacker who later coached the position — and the Patriots opened the season to an upset win over the Bengals.

Then things went sideways.

Upon dropping six straight games, Mayo blasted his club as “soft” following an ugly loss to the Jaguars in London in October.

Although rumors surfaced that same month that Mayo could be on the hot seat, New England got its second win of the year with an Oct. 27 victory over the rival Jets, followed by a dominant win against the Bears on Nov. 10.

Weeks later, when the Patriots fell to the Dolphins on Nov. 24, Mayo sparked headlines once again when he offered a curious take on the team’s penalties.

“Once those guys cross the white lines, there’s nothing I can do for them,” Mayo said. “There’s nothing any coach can do for them once they cross the white line. It’s my job to continue to prepare not only them, but our coaches to go out here and play better football.”

Breer, who elaborated on Mayo before the Patriots’ 25-24 loss to the Colts on Sunday, added how team owner Robert Kraft and son Jonathan, the team’s president, were aware “this was going to take a little while.”

“Just from having talked to (the Krafts) and having talked to people around them, I just get the feeling that they know where they are and this is going to take a couple of offseasons to get through,” he said.

“… I think ‘resigned’ is probably the right word — that this was going to take a little while, that they were going to have to evaluate things on the fly, that there were going to be some bumps for Jerod Mayo as a first-year head coach.”

Drake Maye, the third overall pick in this year’s draft, has been a bright spot for New England this season.

The former North Carolina QB has thrown 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions through nine games while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. He also rushed for a score.

The Patriots visit the Cardinals on Sunday.