Jerod Mayo might be getting another chance to become a head coach

The New England Patriots may not fire anyone off their coaching staff in the 2023 off-season. But there could be departures, with Jerod Mayo at the top of that list.

As reported first by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday, the Carolina Panthers have requested to interview Mayo for their vacant head coach job. This marks the third straight year that Mayo drew head coaching interest from another team. He’s previously interviewed with the Eagles and Broncos, the latter of which also have an HC opening.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network described Mayo as a guy who “impressed” the Eagles and Broncos in their interviews, but obviously, they went and hired someone else.

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• It’s worth noting that this is merely a request to interview Mayo. Currently, the Patriots have the right to deny the request as long as Mayo remains under contract with them. But indications are Mayo’s contract is set to expire next week. At that point, teams wouldn’t need permission to interview him, and he wouldn’t need permission from the Pats.

  But the Panthers are moving quickly on Mayo. Wednesday was the first day they were able to request an interview. Head coach and even coordinator jobs tend to fill up quickly, so that plus the contract element means it can get complicated if teams don’t want to lose a particular assistant coach.

  The Patriots didn’t block Mayo from interviewing in the past, so it would be surprising if that happened this week. It’s more likely that Mayo is going to be a strong candidate to depart for a job as a head coach or defensive coordinator elsewhere. That means the Patriots will have an opening at their inside linebackers coach spot.

  

  MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 09: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo talk on the sidelines in the fourth quarter of the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on January 09, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

• As for the rest of the Patriots’ coaching staff, changes are expected, but not necessarily by way of firings. We can expect certain assistant coaches to be reassigned, namely Matt Patricia and Joe Judge moving from offense to defense/special teams or otherwise filling roles that are better suited to their skills and experience.

  But that means the Patriots will have jobs to fill as far as offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, and/or quarterbacks coach. Patricia is also officially listed as a senior football advisor. If he maintains that role and only that role, that still means the Pats will have three jobs to fill. Ideally, they fill them with three people, as opposed to one.

  Hopefully, Mayo’s departure wouldn’t cause too much of a brain drain on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots defense finished 10th in points allowed per game in 2022, despite adding a lot of new faces and essentially overhauling their cornerback group, with Steve Belichick and Mayo helming the operation.

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  GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 12: Coach Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots during the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. The Patriots defeated the Cardinals 27-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

• We’ll continue to keep you updated on the Patriots’ expected changes on Bill Belichick’s coaching staff throughout the off-season, which is only just beginning.

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  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.