On Thursday night, a report emerged that the Patriots had already crafted a succession plan that promised the coaching job to Jerod Mayo. The Patriots nevertheless had the option to not elevate Mayo, and to conduct a full-blown search for a replacement for Bill Belichick.
The Patriots wisely moved quickly to make Mayo the coach. The longer they had waited, the more speculation would have intensified that Mike Vrabel would get the job. With three days of playoff games — and plenty of hours of pregame shows to fill — the narrative could have become Mayo or Vrabel. With each passing news cycle, more and more Patriots fans might have coalesced behind Vrabel.
After all, he’s a proven commodity as a coach. He’s a member of the team’s Hall of Fame. If the powers-that-be had waited too long to activate the clause in Mayo’s contract, it could have become too late to do so, as soon as Monday.
If the Patriots had not elevated Mayo, he would have received a predetermined buyout. Per a source with general knowledge of the procedure, the buyout would have been not subject to offset language. It would have been a cash payment to Mayo as the alternative to giving him the job.
Instead, he got the job. Quickly. He has the difficult task of replacing a legend. He surely welcomes the challenge.
It makes the reset a little softer. Mayo played for and coach with Belichick. Mayo learned how to do it right. And he’ll bring his own personality to the job.
There were many great things about the Patriot Way under Belichick. Hiring Mayo gives the Patriots a chance to cling to the good while moving on from the flaws that have kept the team from winning a postseason game since Super Bowl LIII.
