'The next Belichick' may never get another job after being sacked over locker room fury

Former New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo may find it challenging to recover from his disastrous season with the team. The Boston Herald reported that Mayo is unlikely to return to coaching due to the poor performance of his year with the team, with rumours suggesting he lost significant respect within the locker room.

Mayo also upset the New England front office by favouring veterans over younger players, costing them valuable experience and leading to his dismissal despite his long-standing association with the franchise since 2008.

Mayo's first and only season as the Patriots head coach was fraught with difficulties, with the team performing poorly throughout the season and putting quarterback Drake Maye in a difficult position to succeed.

In the final game of the regular season, the Patriots benched their starters with a loss meaning they'd secure the number one draft pick, but went on to defeat the Buffalo Bills - causing them to drop to the fourth position in the draft.

This victory now appears incredibly costly for New England, potentially costing them a future first-round pick and more assets if they had traded down from the top spot.

However, the one bright spot in New England's 2024 season was Maye's development throughout the season after being made to wait to start with Mayo initially choosing Jacoby Brissett.

Despite being hindered by a struggling offensive line and underperforming pass catchers, Maye still managed to have a commendable season, earning him a spot on the Pro Bowl roster after several players withdrew.

With Mike Vrabel stepping in as head coach, the Patriots now boast the largest salary cap space for free agency starting March 10, and are expected to be major players in the market.

New England will undoubtedly aim to bolster their offensive line, while potentially setting their sights on wide receivers such as Keenan Allen, Stefon Diggs or Chris Godwin.