Jerod Mayo Retiring as a Patriot.

I remember being so excited when the Pats drafted him in 08. I really wanted him or Keith Rivers to help eventually replace Bruschi. Glad we got Mayo looking back on it.

I don't think he ever lived up to the high expectations a lot of us had because he was drafted in the top 10 yet never became that Patrick Willis type of LB. But I think our scheme had something to do with that, as he wasn't really "turned loose" like he would be in a Rex Ryan or **** LeBeau type of defense. Feel like he would have gotten more notoriety and created more turnovers in a scheme like that. But He took pride in just bringing his hard hat to work and "doing his job" while being the cerebral leader of the defense.

Great solid pro who will be missed on the field and in the locker room. Could definitely see him coaching the LB's one day.

Injuries took their toll and he was never quite the same after 2013. I'd love to still have him in the fold but he seems to be going out on his terms. Unlike a lot of guys, I could easily see Mayo coaching one day should he decide to take up that craft. Best of luck to him and his family.

I was expecting him to leave the organisation this year, although maybe not retiring. It's still sad news either way, he was an important player for us and bridged two generations of the linebacking corps.

He should be remembered for being a great player and a great leader too, his rookie year was something to behold and that game against the Jets where he almost single-handedly won us the game, will live long in the memory.

Good luck Jerod.

Great player, he should be proud of his achievements as an NFL pro. Nice to see him come back and play after his injuries and retire on his own terms

Three straight years going on IR has to be a tough mental hurdle to overcome. Knowing your off-season is going to be spent rehabbing again rather than trying to get better has to be exhausting. I'm not surprised he's stepping away, I probably would too.

Thank you, Jerod, for contributing to this great team. I would love to see him added to the coaching staff in some capacity. Are there any CBA restrictions on that right away?

One of the guys who defined what it means for us fans for a player to be a "Patriot."

Thanks, Jerod, and may you have a happy and healthy rest of your life!

I'm not surprised by this, I didn't think he would go anywhere else and his body has been breaking down. I agree with those who see him coaching someday and I hope it's here. I would love to see Vrabel, Faulk, and Mayo on a future Patriots coaching staff.

I'm really happy he went out with a ring on his hand.

Thank you for everything JM! wish him best of luck...

He was really the start of a new generation on defense. He was the first piece that led to the current era on defense(if you don't count Wilfork), which lead on with Chung and McCourty in 09-10, Jones and Hightower in 2012, Collins and Ryan in 13, and so on.

What was really nice also was that he was a big bright spot in very questionable drafts from 06-08.

Joey007 said:

He was really the start of a new generation on defense. He was the first piece that led to the current era on defense(if you don't count Wilfork), which lead on with Chung and McCourty in 09-10, Jones and Hightower in 2012, Collins and Ryan in 13, and so on.

What was really nice also was that he was a big bright spot in very questionable drafts from 06-08.

Click to expand...

Happy both he and Wilfork got to get rings towards the end. They were the best players on some not-so-great defenses, and by the time the defense became good again neither were the same player due to injury. Mayo's career was unfortunately too short, but I'm happy he gets to out a winner, relatively healthy, and still with decent money. I've heard nothing but great things about him as a human being so I'm really happy he attained all that success; he deserves it.

Noooooooooooooo!!!!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Noo! Nope nope nope!

Nooooooooooooo!


Man.. what a bummer, I knew they wouldnt keep him on his current deal but he's not even 30 yet so I'm surprised hes retiring, I wanted to keep watching him play even if it was for another team..

The injuries must have just been too much to overcome.. really sad to hear of him retiring, he was a tremendous football player for this team, a captain and a true leader on and off the field

You will be missed Jerod, if we could draft someone like you every year we would win it every year

I raise my glass to you and your tremendous Patriots career, thanks for all the memories!

awesome leader. tackling machine. will be sadly missed. Now is the time to use the money to tie up Hightower and Collins.

Thank you Jerod.

slash83 said:

Glad he is smart enough to know when to call it quits before his body becomes really broken down. One of my fav Patriots, a true team player and student of the game. Its comforting knowing we have the likes of HT and Collins ready to man the middle of that defense for the foreseeable future.

Click to expand...

This is total speculation, but I do wonder if the mounting evidence re: head trauma played a role in his decision. Ending three consecutive seasons on IR surely played a huge toll and was the bulk of the decision, but maybe the prospect of rehabbing his way back to play somewhere else at reduced money (and reduced effectiveness) would have been the better alternative in a vacuum, but not when you add in the reality of what he would be doing to his long-term quality of life if he stayed.

On a related note, I wonder if he talked to Chris Borland or Patrick Willis in the process of making this decision. Wouldn't be surprised if these are just the first of many to come.

he reportedly isnt interested in becoming a coach right now. im a little bummed

Good luck Jerod. You were a true Patriot in every sense of the word ! Sad to see you go !

Sad day in seeing a great player and great person leave the organization. Jerod Mayo will be missed; I hope he joins the coaching staff in the near future.

Best wished and thank you for your play Jerod You were an excellent Patriot.

Sad, but inevitable. Best of luck to you Mr. Mayo.

KontradictioN said:

Injuries took their toll and he was never quite the same after 2013. I'd love to still have him in the fold but he seems to be going out on his terms. Unlike a lot of guys, I could easily see Mayo coaching one day should he decide to take up that craft. Best of luck to him and his family.

Click to expand...

I could be wrong but I doubt he becomes a Pats coach.
Why?
Because reading Pepper Johnson's excellent book about the Pats the job is ~12 hours x 7 days in season.
Jerod has grossed ~$40 million. He's not a high living fool so he probably has most of his after tax earnings. So unless a certain moron becomes President and redistributes it, he's comfortably set for life and able to spend reasonable time with his wonderful family. Tedy made the right decision to eschew coaching for the easy TV money and family time. Jerod will skip NFL coaching too despite his likely ability to coach.