2024 Patriots Season

The 2024 New England Patriots season was the start of a new era, with the club having moved on from longtime head coach Bill Belichick following the end of the 2023 regular season. Owner Robert Kraft hired linebackers coach and former player Jerod Mayo as the club's next head coach, but Mayo's first season unfortunately didn't go to plan.

A series of missteps with the media hurt Mayo at various points before and during the season, with internal frustration between players and staff setting up what became a disappointing 4-13 finish.

The one bright spot was the selection of quarterback Drake Maye, who was taken with the #3 overall selection during April's draft. Maye was a spectator during the early part of that season behind veteran Jacoby Brissett, who was signed that March to be a mentor for whatever QB they took the next month in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Maye was indeed who they took at #3 overall, and Brissett proved to be the perfect player as the team began building for the future.

Brissett opened the season with a 16-10 win over Cincinnati, but the Patriots then lost six straight games. He finished 1-4 as the starter before Maye took over in Week 6, absorbing considerable punishment behind an offensive line that was in complete disarray.

Maye finally got his first NFL start ahead of the team's matchup against the Texans on October 13, 2024. He would go on to start the remainder of the games in 2024, which included a roller-coaster season for a team that again suffered from dysfunction throughout much of the year.

While the record didn't reflect it, Maye improved over the second half of the season, leaving the team with something to take away after the dust settled following a second straight 4-13 finish.

Mayo would be fired at the end of the season.

But despite their record, there was plenty of growth from their young quarterback to leave them with a strong foundation for the future.

Heading into the final week of the 2023 Patriots season, rumors began swirling that the Patriots were potentially going to move on from head coach Bill Belichick, ending his more than two-decade run in New England.

After being hired ahead of what became a 5-11 record during the 2000 Patriots Season in his first year as head coach, he quickly turned things around. The 2001 Patriots Season ended in a Super Bowl title, which was the first of six Super Bowl victories for him as Patriots head coach, including a championship to finish off the 2018 season.

Instead, the finale against the New York Jets ended much like the rest of the year did, with an uninspiring 17-3 loss at Gillette Stadium. That loss capped off a 4-13 finish to that 2023 season, and his future with the team appeared to be coming to an end.

“Disappointing finish there today," said Belichick during his postgame press conference. "I have a lot of respect for the way the players competed, have all year. I thought that was indicative of their competitiveness at the end. On the strip after the interception, and the recovery by [Vederian] Lowe, really gave himself up on it and just played hard. But we just couldn’t make enough plays to win. It’s a disappointing year for all of us, players, coaches, staff, our entire organization, and not anything that any of us are in any way content with. But it is what it is.”

“I’ll address some questions on the game. As far as the future goes, I’ll sit down with Robert [Kraft], as I do every year at some point at the end of the season, and we’ll talk about things as we always do, I’m sure that will happen, but that’s really about all I have to say about that right now because there isn’t anything else to talk about.”

Belichick Appeared to Be Business As Usual: "I'm Under Contract"

The next day, Belichick held another press conference, this time in a virtual meeting with the media. The head coach was still wearing the same shirt from the night before. His hair was disheveled, and he was visibly worn down. As he spoke to reporters, it sounded like he fully intended to begin a rebuild following his second consecutive losing season, having finished 8-9 in 2022.

“I’m under contract," said Belichick. "I’m going to do what I always do, which is every day I come in, work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can, so that’s what I’m going to continue to do. Today was kind of the wrap-up day for us with the players. We’ll have a meeting with them and then go from there.”

“As far as any decisions or direction or anything like that for next year, it’s way too early for that. End of the year process is, I don’t think will be fundamentally any different from the standpoint of how it’s done, the decisions, that’s a whole other conversation.

"But how it’s done, I’ll meet with Robert like I always do, meet with the staff, meet with the personnel department, kind of recap the season with the big picture and look at some of the individual situations that are looming, one way or another, but that’s obviously a long, long way off from where we are right now. So we’ll start, at the end of the day, putting the pieces back together in terms of setting things up to go through a good detailed analysis and kind of start a reconstruction, if you will.”

Days later, he and owner Robert Kraft agreed to mutually part ways, ending his tenure in New England.

Kraft and Belichick "Mutually Agree to Part Ways"

“Robert and I have, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways and for me, this is a day of gratitude and celebration," said Belichick as he and Kraft held a joint press conference following the move.

“Start with Robert, and his family. So much thanks for the opportunity to be head coach here for 24 years. It’s an amazing opportunity. I received tremendous support. We had a vision of building a winner, building a championship football team here and that’s exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and the contributions of so many people. So, very proud of that, and I’ll always have those great memories. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

Mayo was officially hired on January 12, 2024, with Mayo being introduced in a press conference five days later on January 17, 2024.

During his first press conference, one of the things that Mayo talked about was that he was a big believer in trying to help young players develop, and he was excited to finally have this opportunity.

“I would say I’m a huge believer in just developing people,” said Mayo. “Whether it’s on the football field, whether it’s off the football field, in the media world, in business, my calling is to be a teacher and to develop people and help them see pretty much what they don’t want to see, but they need to see. So my job, that has been my calling.”

Mayo even has a nickname for Kraft, who he referred to as “Thunder” throughout his press conference.

“I call him ‘Young Thundercat,’ he has a young heart,” said Mayo, explaining where the name stemmed from.

Mayo credited his time at Optum, which was a place he spent multiple years away from the game in the business world after he walked away from football.

“I learned a lot at Optum about diversity and inclusion and you better believe it, being the first black coach in New England means a lot to me,” said Mayo. “But those guys taught me you have to take ideas from other people, black, white, green, yellow, it really doesn’t matter. Old, young …”

“One thing you’ll notice about me in our interaction as we continue to go, is I don’t like echo chambers. I want people around me that are going to question my ideas or question the way we have done things in the past. Because realistically, this game is a lot different from when I was drafted in 2008. At the same time, that’s why I try to spend so much time in developing young men and young women. I don’t want to teach them what to think, I want to teach them how to think. And once we get to that point, I think we can get back to where we need to be, at the top.”

“I’m an open book, I’m honored, I’m ready to go and I’m excited to be the next head coach of the Patriots.”

Patriots Free Agency Additions (9):

• QB Jacoby Brissett – Agreed to 1-year deal
• OT Chukwuma Okorafor – Agreed to 1-year deal
• RB Antonio Gibson – Agreed to 3-year deal
• LB Sione Takitaki – Agreed to 2-year deal
• TE Austin Hooper – Agreed to 1-year deal
• DT Armon Watts – Agreed to 1-year deal
• OL Nick Leverett – Agreed to 1-year deal
• WR K.J. Osborn – Agreed to 1-year deal
• DB Jaylinn Hawkins – Agreed to 1-year deal

Patriots Free Agency – Players they Re-signed (11):

• OL Mike Onwenu – Agreed to 3-year Deal
• WR Kendrick Bourne – Agreed to 3-year deal
• WR Jalen Reagor – Agreed to 1-year deal
• OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
• DB Alex Austin – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
• TE Hunter Henry – Agreed to 3-year deal
• S Kyle Dugger – Given Transition Tag
• QB Nathan Rourke – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
• LB Josh Uche – Agreed to 1-year deal.
• LB Christian Elliss – Received Exclusive Rights Tender
• LB Anfernee Jennings – Agreed to 3-year deal

Patriots Free Agency Departures (9):

• QB Mac Jones – Traded to Jaguars
• LB Mack Wilson Sr. – Agreed to terms with Arizona
• WR DeVante Parker – Released/Agrees to Deal With Eagles
• LB Chris Board – Released/Agrees to Deal with Ravens
• TE Mike Gesicki – Agreed to 1-year Deal with Bengals
• TE Pharaoh Brown – Agreed to Deal with Seahawks
• DB Jalen Mills – Agreed to 1-year Deal with Giants
• OT Trent Brown – Agreed to 1-year Deal with Bengals
• DB Myles Bryant – Agreed to Terms With Texans

One of the biggest challenges the Patriots faced in their first post-Bill Belichick offseason was trying to attract free agents, which certainly wasn't easy.

With Mac Jones still on the roster and nothing but the prospect of whoever they were going to take with the third overall selection in April's NFL Draft, selling potential free agents to come to New England proved to be extremely difficult.

Early rumors were that they were going to bring Jacoby Brissett in, which did ultimately pan out. However, as they tried putting players around the veteran, they quickly realized how difficult it was to convince free agents to choose New England.

During an interview with WEEI, Mayo got caught on what was initially a passing comment as he was trying to get out of the studio during an appearance on The Greg Hill Show.

As Mayo was trying to end the interview and get back to work, he ended up making a passing comment that instead became a talking point not just through the start of free agency, but through the entire offseason when they weren't able to land any big names.

“We’re bringing in talent, 1000%," said Mayo when asked if he'd been given assurances from Robert Kraft that he would have the freedom to bring in talent. "[We] have a lot of cap space and cash. Ready to burn some cash.”

Still, the hosts continued talking to him. But it was clear Mayo needed to leave as the club was still trying to assemble its coaching staff.

“I’m trying to put this coaching staff together. Scroll through your phone ... What do you want to ask me?”

They went on to say that he was a breath of fresh air and they were excited he was the new coach. But as Mayo finished up, he added that winning was still his current focus.

“I’m excited as well, but we need to win games, though, because if we don’t win, it’s not going to be a nice interview,” he said.

Unfortunately, the "burn some cash" comment would come back to bite him, especially considering how their first big attempt ultimately played out.

Eliot Wolf got everyone excited after he said their goal was to "weaponize the offense" that offseason, which was definitely necessary. The Patriots were coming off a season where they scored just 236 points in 2023, tied with Carolina for the fewest in the league.

"I think the main thing is just getting players that fit our culture. Getting players that want to do right, want to do the extra," said Wolf when it came to what Patriots could expect from the type of players his personnel department was looking for. "But in terms of just physical skills, we need to weaponize the offense. We need to be faster and more explosive on defense. Height, weight, speed, playmaking ability, there will definitely be an emphasis on those things.”

But they took a big swing and missed on their first attempt, with free agent wideout Calvin Ridley ultimately choosing a different destination.

Ridley instead chose Tennessee, despite the fact the Patriots made every effort to sign him. Owner Robert Kraft was involved, and he also revealed that Ridley's then-fiancée preferred to stay in the South.

"We pursued the people we wanted in free agency," said Kraft.  "There was one outstanding receiver that, unfortunately, we couldn't close.  It was not because of finance.  I mean, clearly, his [fiancée] wanted to be in the south, and we had a situation with the taxes. They were almost 10% higher.  We offered, and were willing to keep going to add that premium, but he didn't want to be in the northeast.  And part of it might be the quarterback situation as well."

With a first-year head coach and the uncertainty at quarterback, the Patriots had a difficult time that offseason.

According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, both Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans and quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t exactly jump at the chance to come to New England.

Evans reportedly had “no interest” in coming to the Patriots, while Mayo’s team was said to be at the bottom of the list of clubs Mayfield apparently was willing to consider. And that was said to only be if a return to the Buccaneers didn’t work out, followed by potentially teams like Minnesota or Atlanta also failing to come to an agreement with him. He would go on to remain in Tampa.

Still, even Wolf's past relationship with Mayfield, having both scouted and been behind his selection in Cleveland, wasn't enough to sway him.

“Baker was a guy I had an opportunity to watch play live last year against Texas, and the thing you could really see with him was his presence on the field,” said Wolf after Mayfield's selection in 2018. “Pregame, he would walk by a group of Oklahoma players, and there was just that instant energy that everyone had. And then once the game starts, he’s got all the physical tools you look for. He’s a little bit shorter than everyone’s perfect idea of a quarterback, but we didn’t feel like that necessarily contributed to any negative play.”

Colleague Alonzo Highsmith, who was with Wolf with the Browns at the time, agreed, and his dealings with Mayfield confirmed Eliot’s thoughts when it came to how they felt about him as a player.

“I’ve been around great quarterbacks my whole life,” added Highsmith. “Played with Warren Moon, played with Troy Aikman, been around Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Testeverde, Bernie Kosar, I was in the huddle with all those guys – well, not in the huddle with Brett Favre and those guys but the other guys before that – and there’s something more than a big arm to be a quarterback. Because if it was just about a big arm, well, then everybody would be successful at the quarterback position.”

“We throw out all the traits of what it takes to be a quarterback when someone doesn’t measure up to somebody’s standards. And I’ve always wondered, when it comes to being a good football player, who’s standards are we judging them by? It’s about playing the game. It’s about being a good football player. And it’s about wins. And I thought Baker made all those checks to me and he had the ‘it’ factor to me.”

Following the initial wave of free agency, it was clear that the Patriots weren't going to make a splash with any big names. Instead, New England shifted gears and went for players who would become role players that season, adding QB Jacoby Brissett, OT Chukwuma Okorafor, RB Antonio Gibson, LB Sione Takitaki, TE Austin Hooper, DT Armon Watts, OL Nick Leverett, WR K.J. Osborn, and DB Jaylinn Hawkins among some of the notable names added.

They also re-signed some of their own players, with Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Mike Onwenu, Christian Elliss, and Anfernee Jennings among some of their own in-house signings that offseason.

Mayo more or less confirmed the difficulty they had attracting players when asked whether there were any commonalities behind their struggles.

“I would say there were various reasons why guys didn’t sign with us,” said Mayo. “Once again, the unknown is scary for a lot of people and I would say, even in our building right now, it’s still unknown. Like, will I be a good head coach? I don’t know, hopefully. I think I can be. Will Eliot be a good GM or whatever he is in his role? I don’t know, we’ll see what happens with that.”

“But look, it’s going to be a process, and once again, you guys, even sitting around this table, there will be times that you have to ask me hard questions. Like right now, we’re 0-0. We’re still in the honeymoon phase. You guys are throwing up these softballs, but I understand what I’m getting myself into as we continue to go down this trail.”

Patriots Walked Away From Aiyuk Deal

They were also spurned again in August as things in San Francisco with receiver Brandon Aiyuk came to a head and the receiver asked to be traded. The Patriots jumped into the mix, and it seemed like there was potentially the possibility of landing him.

The two sides reportedly had the framework in place for a deal, with Kendrick Bourne said to be part of the agreement. However, the team apparently got 'a bad vibe' from Aiyuk's response to their offer, which led New England to walk away from the deal.

“They weren’t getting a great vibe here as they tried to conduct communication with Brandon Aiyuk and his agent,” said Schefter. “The longer it went on, the worse they felt about it and eventually they said, ‘What are we doing here?’ Let’s just focus in on the young receivers that we have.”

The details that later emerged showed that the Patriots were reportedly willing to pay what it took to get the deal done. According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, New England offered the receiver a deal that would have been over $30 million per season, but Aiyuk simply “did not show interest in going there.”

Aiyuk was instead said to be interested in landing with the Steelers, but no deal was ever consummated, and problems continued between the 49ers and Aiyuk throughout 2024.

Mayo faced other issues that offseason and into the preseason, which involved two notable names on defense.

Matthew Judon headed into the 2024 season in the final year of his deal, with the linebacker looking to get an extension prior to the start of the season.

But after the two sides reached an impasse, things began to get contentious. Judon went so far as to say the two sides "ain't that far apart" during minicamp, but no deal ever came to fruition.

Judon was initially present at training camp but wasn't participating. However, things appeared to escalate after Judon and Mayo spoke during one session before Judon ultimately left the field. He later returned, only to have an animated discussion with Eliot Wolf and Al Groh. He was neither on the field nor in the building the following day.

He did eventually start participating, but the Patriots ended up trading Judon on August 14, 2024.

Following a 4-year, $92 million deal that Christian Barmore received at the end of April, the veteran ended up being diagnosed with blood clots ahead of the season.

The team's medical staff helped discover Barmore's medical situation, and Mayo later credited them for catching it and making sure Barmore got the proper treatment.

“It was, we have these case managers who are responsible for, you know, a group of guys, and they did a great job under Jim [Whalen]’s leadership,” said Mayo during his pre-practice press conference. “[Staff Physical Therapist] Chris Dolan noticed something, and they investigated it. So kudos to those guys.”

Mayo didn’t have an exact timeline for when the issue initially appeared, but he was just glad that they caught it and credited Whalen, who one reporter said Barmore’s agent was concerned things could have been a lot worse had Whalen not spotted it.

“Jim Whalen, he’s a huge piece of the puzzle,” said Mayo. “I would also say he has a tremendous team behind him that, you know, they do the day-to-day things as well. So kudos to that whole entire staff.”

Mayo also went on to say that Barmore wasn’t in the hospital, and that he’s in good spirits as he continues recovering.

“I had a conversation with him. He’s in good spirits, and like I said before, he’s getting tremendous care, and his mom is up here, too. So anytime mom’s in the house, it’s a good day.”

Barmore eventually returned to the team in November, but a setback saw his season come to an end in mid-December.

“Yeah, I feel for Bar,” Mayo said following the news. “He did everything right, and for those things to pop back up, just unfortunate. Again, I look at these guys as men first before football players, and there’s nothing more important than the health of our individuals.”

During the draft evaluations, there was a big group that was on hand for the team's initial visit with Drake Maye. According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Eliot Wolf, Jerod Mayo, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney, senior assistant Ben McAdoo, director of player personnel Matt Groh, senior personnel advisor Patrick Stewart, senior personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith and national scout Matt Evans were present for the team's initial meeting with the young quarterback.

Maye clearly made a good impression, with the team then seemingly locking in on the North Carolina standout given how things went.

When first asked about the Patriots, Maye seemed honored at the notion of coming to New England.

“Shoot, New England. I mean, it’s hard not to talk about the dynasty. You know, the great, you think of the GOAT. That’s what you think of. When you think of New England, you think of the GOAT, Tom Brady,” Maye said in March of 2024. “So, just a place that’s had a lot of success. They’ve had some years lately that haven’t been as successful, and looking to get back on track.”

After ultimately selecting him with the third overall pick, Wolf said their visits convinced him that Drake Maye was the right selection.

“He’s big, he’s young, and we feel like there’s a lot of upside to his game,” said Wolf after Maye was selected. “Throughout the process. I mean, we had a good process with all these quarterbacks, and all these players in the draft, and we really started to feel comfortable with Drake…obviously the game film was really good, but we started to feel comfortable with him as we spent more time with him and visited with him at North Carolina.”

In addition to their pre-draft meeting with Maye, Mayo also said that speaking to Drake Maye’s college coach, Mack Brown, helped solidify their decision.

“First and foremost, I would say just getting a chance to spend time with Mack Brown and asking him questions about Drake really helped me get the full picture,” said Mayo. “Look, this guy’s very competitive. He would literally miss one question, and he’d be on himself about it. But we like that competitive nature, that striving for perfection, and he showed us that.”

There were other things on tape besides Maye’s football acumen that stood out, with one key intangible playing a role. Maye’s toughness was a big factor, which Mayo explained influenced the decision to take him.

“One thing about Drake that we kind of talked about it this past year, they also had some holes on offense,” said Mayo. “The thing that most impressed me about him, he would get smacked and just get right back up. Right? That’s the same trait – you had a guy like Tom Brady – not saying that he’s Tom, but just that mentality. Same thing with Joe Burrow. Like, those guys just keep getting back up and continuing playing at a high level, and that was like the ‘Ah Ha’ moment for me.”

When draft day came, there was interest from other teams to try to make their way into that #3 slot to target Maye.

One team was apparently the New York Giants, who were also said to be impressed with Maye. During an episode of Hard Knocks, the exchange of the Giants trying to take a swing at a trade was aired between Wolf and New York GM Joe Schoen, but Wolf declined.

“I think we’re pretty happy with sitting here picking. But, again, if you offer us [your first, second, and third-round pick] this year, [your first and second-round pick] next year …. I mean, I’m exaggerating. But it’s going to be something crazy like that,” said Wolf via ESPN.

“It would probably have to be pretty significant,” replied Schoen. “So, like a [first-round pick] this year [obviously No. 6 this year], a [first-round pick] next year, and something more this year is not going to do it? It’s got to be multiples in ’25?”

Wolf then ended the exchange by saying, “We’re in this situation where we just probably sit and pick a quarterback.”

That echoes reports leading up to the first night that it was going to take something “unprecedented” to move the Patriots out of that spot. Given what Wolf threw out there, it was clear that’s exactly what it would have taken.

After being selected, the moment the phone rang was one that Drake Maye told reporters was one he’d “remember forever,” and he was looking forward to getting to work.

“When I heard that phone ring right beside me. Kind of had the old school phone right beside me at the draft,” said Maye during his first conference call. “Once that rang, it rang real early, rang right at 10 minutes right when the Patriots were on the clock. I heard it started ringing and it’s one of the moments I’ll remember forever and I’ll cherish. I think my mom grabbed that phone and took it with her. But we’ll remember forever.”

He also made it clear what fans could expect from him.

“A competitor and a winner,” said Maye. “I think that’s the main two things that come to mind. It doesn’t matter if I’m racing you out the door, or on the football field competing. I think I’m competing to win. That’s what Patriots Nation is about. That’s what they know how to do and I’m ready to come in and do that.”

Maye also added that he would still prepare as if he were the starting quarterback, knowing that when his time came, he would need to earn it.

“I’ll prepare and be ready to be the starter, but at the same time I think you know as a young guy coming in there, it’s not given to you, you’ve got to earn it,” said Maye. “The NFL is someplace you’ve got to work your butt off, and my job is to go in there and earn the guys’ respect. Help whoever is the starter if I’m not, I’ll be the best player that I can and help this team win.”

Throughout the team's minicamp and preseason, Maye went through a lot of ups and downs but started to make a late push in training camp.

He made strides as the summer stretched on, and made a case late to potentially start the 2024 season.

Limited Appearance vs Carolina Frustrates Fans

In their first preseason game, which was at Gillette Stadium against the Panthers, the fans didn't get much of a glimpse of Maye. The rookie appeared for just one series, coming in during New England's second offensive possession of the game.

During his appearance, Maye went 2-of-3 for 19 yards, including having to overcome a 3rd-and-12 after Chukwuma Okorafor was called for a false start on the second play of the drive. A 13-yard completion to Antonio Gibson kept the drive going before the possession would then end in a punt.

Bailey Zappe would enter the game in place of Maye on the next series.

Maye's limited appearance severely upset the fans and became a talking point that week, with people extremely frustrated that the rookie didn't see more time on the field.

“Yeah, that was always the plan," said Mayo after the game. "The plan was to get him in there for one series, to get Jacoby in there for one series, and then really turn it into the Zappe show and then the Joe show. That was the plan going there.”

When asked if there was any concern over having Maye in on another series with the second offensive line and if that was part of the decision, Mayo admitted it played a factor.

“That’s always a consideration. If he’s in there, you want him in there with the starting offensive line," said Mayo. "We got to protect that guy. Not saying we don’t have to protect the other guys, but that absolutely did go into it.”

After that week, Maye would see more playing time, and he went on to put together some impressive moments both against the Eagles and again in the finale against Washington.

Brissett Struggles

Meanwhile, Brissett had a difficult run. Following their performance against Philadelphia, which saw Brissett throw an ill-advised end zone interception during a 14-13 loss, things felt like they changed. A strong first half by Drake Maye, which saw the rookie complete 5-of-7 for 47 yards, including a rushing touchdown, got the conversation started, and it carried over into their final exhibition game in a 20-10 loss against Washington.

Maye finished that game 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a touchdown, overcoming a tough showing by the offensive line while building off his performance from the previous week.

In that game, Brissett also took a shot early on and appeared to suffer a shoulder injury, leaving the game after just one series.

Overall, Brissett finished the preseason completing just 5-of-14 (35.7%) for 36 yards and an INT, while Maye completed 21-of-34 (61.8%) for 192 yards and a TD.

Team Picks Brissett to Begin 2024

Still, as well as Maye had played, Mayo believed Brissett was the player better suited to start the season for the 2024 New England Patriots.

“Just like I told you guys a few days ago, it’s a process as far as selecting who the starting quarterback is,” said Mayo on August 29, 2024.  “We have decided, or I have decided, that Jacoby Brissett will be our starting quarterback this season.”

“Now, in saying that, as an organization, we’re 100% behind Jacoby. There is no, ‘You got a guy right here, you got a guy right there.’ We’re 100% behind Jacoby. I had an opportunity to talk to Drake. I had an opportunity to talk to Jacoby separately and also together. I feel like we’re all on the same page from an organizational perspective.”

Mayo then went on to add that he simply felt that Brissett gave the club a better chance to win to begin the season than the rookie.

“There are a lot of factors that led to this choice,” said Mayo. “I think the hard part is thinking in the short term and the long term at the same time. As an organization, though, we feel like Jacoby gives us our best chance to win right now.”

Mayo told WEEI the following Monday that he felt Maye had outplayed the veteran, but did say at the time there was more that needed to be taken into account before making a decision on the starter for 2024.

“I would say at this current point, Drake has outplayed Jacoby,” said Mayo. “Now, in saying that, we have to take in the full body of work, going all the way back to the spring and the beginning of training camp, and we’ll see where we end up. But those are the conversations that will happen here over the next couple of days.”

The 2024 season started off well, but that season became less about the wins and losses and more about how things played out. Mayo made mistakes throughout the season, and while the problems weren't entirely his fault, he unfortunately didn't do himself any favors.

It also didn't help that the coaching staff found itself on the wrong end of lopsided defeats where players were playing outside the defensive scheme, and internal frustration began to build. As the problems grew bigger, ownership started losing confidence, leading to a short tenure for Mayo by the time the season came to an end.

The mood leading up to the club's Week 2 game against the Seahawks seemed positive, although the Patriots quietly had an issue brewing.  Chukwuma Okorafor, who signed during the offseason hoping to be the solution at left tackle, ended up playing just 12 snaps in the opener against the Bengals.  The veteran struggled at left tackle against Trey Hendrickson, with Okorafor being replaced during the game by Vederian Lowe.  The former Steeler had also previously finished the preseason having logged three penalties against the Commanders, and it quickly became clear he wasn't up for the challenge.

Lowe eventually slowed Hendrickson down, and that played a key role in the victory.  However, days after the game, it was reported that Okorafor had left the team, and he would ultimately be placed on the "exempt/left squad" list the following Saturday.

Following New England's fourth straight loss, there were starting to be indications that there was frustration brewing within the locker room.

Davon Godchaux and Jabrill Peppers caught the attention of many when both players revealed there were some guys on defense being "selfish."  Godchaux appeared on WEEI's Jones and Keefe following that loss in San Francisco, letting it be known that not everyone was on the same page and that there were some who seemed to be playing outside the lines of the defense.

“We just all got to be on the same page, man,” said Godchaux during an appearance on WEEI’s Jones and Keefe.  “We got guys, just to be honest, we got guys, some guys just being selfish. Because guys, I get it, I mean, we’re down, guys want to make plays. I get it, but everybody got to play. I’m talking about defense. Everybody has to play as 11, and everybody has to sacrifice to do what’s best for the team. I know some guys want to make plays when we’re down, trying to get back in the game, but we got to just keep going as a team and play team defense.”

Mayo alluded to the mentality when it came to guys looking to make plays.  However, he also said there were guidelines they needed to play within.

“We brought in 17 new coaches all with great energy, but they also have to be firm,” said Mayo. “We have things that we need to get done. Accountability amongst the players is always a big thing. Whether you have a player hat on or a coach’s hat, we’re all responsible, and our job as coaches are to put those guys in the right place so they can go out there and make plays. I always say, ‘Look, here’s your canvas. I don’t care what picture you paint on the canvas, just stay on the canvas.’ And as long as we do that, I think we’ll be going in the right direction.”

At 1-5, and having lost four straight, it wasn't the fact they were losing so much as how it was unfolding.  Things were chaotic, and there was a fair amount of unrest, at least based on the reports at the time.

Star safety Jabrill Peppers, who had been one of the few bright spots this season and had been rewarded with an extension that offseason, spent the previous week on the injury report before being downgraded to “Out” ahead of Sunday’s contest. However, a report on Monday revealed that Peppers had been arrested over the weekend for assault and battery, along with possession of cocaine.

“He called me that morning,” said Mayo of Peppers. “I knew what was going on. And the NFL, we’ve informed the NFL what was going on, and we’re still gathering information.”

Whatever information they garnered must not have been good. The team revoked Peppers’ captain status, adding to the list of problems.

“We’re not playing well. It’s not a secret,” said Mayo during his weekly interview on WEEI.  “And being the head coach of this team, I have to accept all the responsibility for that.”

Michael Felger of 98.5 The Sports Hub, who spent a lot of the previous season questioning whether or not Bill Belichick should continue as head coach, ramped up the discussion when it came to Mayo's future. The team obviously parted ways with Belichick at the start of that offseason, with Robert Kraft turning to Mayo as his replacement.  It ended up being a plan that had come to fruition two years sooner than most expected.

Five games in, doubt began to creep in when it came to Mayo. And Felger felt, “he’s not the guy” who should be leading the club after what he had seen the last few weeks.

“Mayo’s in over his head, is what it is,” said Felger that Tuesday.  “He’s just in way over his head, as most guys at his stage of their career would be.  There’s so many problems on this team.  And so many problems in that organization, frankly.  He’s just not cut out for it, and like I said, very few people would be at this stage in their careers.  He’s just set up to fail, but he’s not the guy.”

“I also think [Tony Massarotti], he reacted to some of his players complaining about not getting the ball.  First couple of weeks, you’ve got those receivers stomping around out there, kind of pitching a fit.  Demario Douglas, of all people, is holding press conferences in the locker room about his lack of touches and whatnot.  And Mayo admits, ‘We’ve got to get him the ball,’ and all that.  And then the next thing you know, they’re dropping back to pass 33 times in New York trying to get Demario Douglas the ball.  Who?  Why?  No, it starts with the head coach.”

“And I don’t blame Jerod Mayo for Alex Van Pelt.  It’s not his hire. Ownership didn’t want to pay for the guy that they wanted.  That’s ownership’s fault.  But Mayo’s part of the problem.  He’s in there somewhere, I am sorry.”

Following the team's fourth straight loss, Maye finally got the call to start Week 6 against the Texans at Gillette Stadium.

He had a shaky start but overall played well, despite a few rough moments. He threw an early interception on a pass intended for Demario Douglas that sailed on him, which ended up in the hands of Texans safety Calen Bullock on New England’s second offensive series. Bullock then took it back 28 yards the other way before Maye ended up being the one to chase him down and make the tackle.

But just like in college, Maye got better as the game went on, with his 40-yard touchdown throw to Kayshon Boutte near the end of the first half bringing everyone to their feet at Gillette Stadium. That pass looked effortless, with Maye throwing it at a relatively low trajectory while hitting Boutte in stride down the right sideline.

Maye finished the afternoon 20-of-33 for 243 yards with three touchdowns. He did end up with three turnovers, with the rookie throwing two picks while also losing a fumble after he took a shot in the pocket. Unlike his first errant throw, his second interception wasn’t all his fault. It came on a screen pass that was deflected, and Eric Murray made a ridiculous grab off the back of Austin Hooper’s helmet for the interception. He also lost the football on a strip-sack.

Still, overall, it was a solid performance for the rookie, and one that head coach Jerod Mayo felt like he could build from.

“His reads were good all day,” Mayo said of Maye. “I thought his reads were good. I’ll watch the film, obviously, but I thought he did a good job.”

Maye did take some hits during that game, but being younger and more athletic than Jacoby Brissett did allow the offense to take advantage of some opportunities and make plays. The rookie was asked about how he was feeling and admitted that while hits come with the territory in the NFL at quarterback, he still needed to be better about avoiding them.

"I feel all right. I think, you know, you're playing quarterback in the NFL, you know, you're going to be sore the next day," said Maye. "You know, it's part of it. And probably need to do a better job of getting down or throwing it away and, I think I took a couple sacks maybe today where I could have thrown away or throw a check down instead of getting a sack and step up."

The game recaps below also include links to video highlights from each contest.

Following the team's 32-16 loss to Jacksonville in London, Mayo publicly called out his team with a surprising comment.

"Look, disappointing game. Disappointing game," said Mayo after the game.  "We came out, we started fast. What I would say is, look, we're a soft football team across the board. We talk about what makes a tough football team. That's being able to run the ball, that's being able to stop the run, and that's being able to cover kicks, and we did none of those today. They controlled the ball for most of the day. Their run game averaged over 4.5 yards of carry. Our run game, not sure what the average was, but it wasn't good."

"Look, back to the drawing board. I mean, we can't sit here and pout. We just got to put a game together."

To that point, the Patriots had lost six straight, having given up 40 points the previous week against Houston, followed by another 32 to Jacksonville.

When asked what Mayo believed was the cause of his team's play, he didn't really have an answer.

"I'm not sure. I mean, that's something that I have to think about," said Mayo.  "We have a long flight back, and I'm not sure. It's not like all of a sudden we did something different and now we're a soft football team. It's just the mentality that we've got to get back in the guys."

The next day during his weekly interview with WEEI, Mayo was asked what he meant.  The head coach walked his comments back, saying that it's not that he has a soft team, but it comes down to how they're playing.

“To me, I said it last night. We got to be able to run the ball. We have to stop the run and cover kicks, and we did none of those," said Mayo.  "And that’s what equals a tough football team.”

“Last year, we played soft at times," added Mayo. "There have always been games within each individual season where you feel like you played soft that game. And like I said, to correct what I said, it’s not that we have a soft football team. We are just playing soft over the past few weeks.”

He reiterated it again when asked what he and his staff can do to change the mentality of his team and whether or not he believes he has the right leaders in the locker room.

"Let me correct it, it’s not that we have a soft football team," said Mayo. "We’re playing soft.”

Belichick Speaks on Mayo's "Soft" Comments

It didn't help that Belichick also commented on the situation during a podcast with Tom Brady and Jim Gray that week, with the former head coach saying Mayo's approach wasn't the way to handle things.

“Look, I think when you criticize your team publicly like that, it doesn’t always go over well,” said Belichick. “Now every coach has their own style, and maybe sometimes that can be effective and all. But ultimately, I always felt like when the team played bad, that was my responsibility, too. I mean, we might have had bad playing, but we had bad coaching that led to bad playing. So I think it’s always best to kind of take a look at yourself and do what you can do to help the team. And then, if you have constructive criticism as a coach, that’s your job.”

“But I don’t know. Last year, the Patriots led the league in rushing defense, yards per carry, number one in the league. This year, they’re 26th or whatever it is. It’s the same players. I don’t think that those players on defense are soft, but they haven’t stopped the run very well this year.”

Heading into New England's Week 8 matchup against the Jets, the Patriots dealt away another edge player that week after trading linebacker Josh Uche to the Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round pick.  It was a surprising move, given that it came just months after the club had brought him back on a 1-year deal that offseason.

Through eight weeks, he had just as many sacks (2) as he did penalties (2), with his last one coming back in Week 5 against Miami.  Still, Albert Breer revealed that the move seemed to be less about his lack of production and more about the fact that Uche may have been one of the guys who may have fallen under the “selfish” label regarding their play that was being thrown about by some of the veteran players in the locker room.

Breer said on Arbella Early Edition on NBC Sports Boston that there was some frustration internally with Uche’s play in terms of him playing “outside the defense,” and that likely led to the club exploring moving on from him.

“[The Patriots] felt like he wasn’t taking the coaching, like he was playing outside the defense too much, like he wasn’t dependable,” said Breer.  “And just a little bit like he wasn’t on board with where things were under Jerod Mayo.”

“And the way I look at it, this is a crucial time for them to have guys on board, especially when they are guys that you’ve actually rewarded and paid. So a guy like that — he’s not on board, you have a landing spot for him, you send him away.”

While the compensation didn't feel quite worth it, Breer also pointed out that there were no other offers for the veteran. That means that Uche could have potentially moved on the following offseason, which would have left New England with nothing to show for it, barring a compensatory pick.

Following a Week 12 blowout loss to Miami, Mayo took no accountability for the loss, instead putting the blame on his football team.

“Look, once those guys cross the white lines, there’s nothing I can do for them,” said Mayo. “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.”

However, the biggest problem in that game was clear. The Patriots were badly outcoached.

The lack of defensive adjustments in the second quarter saw Miami put up 24 points, with Tua Tagovailoa tossing three touchdowns during that span as the defense didn't appear to have an answer.

Following the opening drive where the Patriots forced a punt, Miami went on to score on four straight possessions, scoring three touchdowns and capping off the half with a field goal.  Over that span, Tagovailoa went 20-of-27 for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and easily had his way with a Patriots defense that felt powerless to do anything about it.

Fortunately, New England came out of the locker room in the second half and seemingly had a better handle on what Miami was doing, but by then, it was too late. As a result, it added to an already difficult situation, and Mayo certainly didn't do himself any favors with his comments.

One sequence during their loss to the Cardinals in Week 15 led to the first sign that Mayo's future was potentially in jeopardy. It happened during the Patriots' first offensive possession of the second half, after New England had driven from their own 30-yard line all the way down to Arizona's 4-yard line.

Following a play where Antonio Gibson had been stopped for no gain on the previous attempt on 3rd-and-1, Rhamondre Stevenson tried his hand at moving the chains on the following snap.

Unfortunately, Arizona kept him from picking up that yard, and the ball ended up being turned over on downs.

Mayo later did the unthinkable following the loss and openly questioned Alex Van Pelt’s decision to run the football on a 4th-and-1 from the Arizona 4-yard line early in the third quarter, trailing 16-3.

“I mean, it was disappointing,” said Mayo on that play. “I said this, I think probably the first week of the season, there comes a point in time as a football team where everyone in the stadium knows what the play is, and we just got to move bodies, and we weren’t able to do that.”

That eliminated a massive opportunity to potentially get themselves back in the game, as a touchdown would have brought the score to 16-10.

But Mayo made an incredibly foolish move shortly after when he was asked whether or not he would have considered running Maye instead to get the first down.

“You said it, I didn’t,” quipped Mayo.

That’s basically a shot at offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Mayo seemingly caught himself shortly after when asked whose decision it was to make that call.

“It’s always my decision,” said Mayo. “I would say, look, the quarterback obviously has a good pair of legs and does a good job running the ball. We just chose not to do it there.”

Less than an hour after Mayo gave his final postgame press conference, the news came out that he had been fired.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft spoke the next day about the decision and took responsibility for Mayo's struggles.

“I’m going to be very brief here and say this whole situation is on me," said Kraft. "I feel terrible for Jerod because I put him in an untenable situation. I know that he has all the tools as a head coach to be successful in this league. He just needed more time before taking the job. In the end, I’m a fan of this team first, and now I have to go out and find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and, hopefully, Championships.”

Albert Breer reported that while the statement the day Mayo was fired was seemingly written in advance of the former linebacker's actual dismissal, the way things unfolded left the rest of the coaching staff surprised.

“I have it on pretty good authority that there were coaches that were actually leaving the building that were called back in to be informed of the decision,” said Breer. “At least the staff, they left for the day to go see their families and whatnot and got called back in to be informed of the decision. It, I think, came as a surprise, at least timing-wise.”

Mayo finished 4-13 in his first season as Patriots head coach, with the club left to begin the search for who might potentially replace him ahead of the 2025 season.

Expand each block for recaps, video highlights, and links to relive what happened throughout the 2024 New England Patriots season.