Tedy Bruschi on Patriots' hire Jerod Mayo: 'They got the right guy'

Former New England Patriots star Tedy Bruschi applauded his former team’s decision to hire linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as the next head coach on Friday during an appearance on ESPN. Bruschi and Mayo were teammates for the 2008 season in New England and the three-time Super Bowl champ believes the Patriots made the right decision.

“I’m really not surprised at all,” Bruschi said on Get Up. “The relationship with Mr. (Robert) Kraft, the grooming, working himself up through the ranks, being almost the defacto defensive coordinator with Brian Belichick. I think you’re getting the best of both worlds… there’s a little of Bill Belichick in him, and then there’s not.

“I think that’s what they’re looking for. Someone who knows the foundation, the structure, knows the defensive philsophy and the techniques. In terms of what they’re looking for in the organization, sort of the new age… it’s everyone on the same page, someone that’s willing to work and can work with a lot of people. They got the right guy in Jerod Mayo.”

Not only does Mayo have a history with Bill Belichick that instilled in him all the principles the Patriots value as an organization, he also has character qualities that Bruschi believes his players and fellow coaches will respond to.

“Jerod can also be difficult to work with also, he’s not afraid to ruffle feathers…,” Bruschi said. “He doesn’t really care what people think sometimes, even if he’s working with them. That’s a sign of a good coach, being able to tell you the truth even when it’s not wanted.”

Mayo lands dream job

Jerod Mayo is 37 years old and has been an assistant under Belichick since 2019, coaching the team’s linebackers. Prior to that, he spent his entire playing career with the Patriots after New England took him No. 10 overall in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. With the Volunteers, he was a first-team All-SEC linebacker and a second-team All-American.

As a player, Mayo was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2008. He was also a two-time Pro Bowl selection and was an All Pro selection in 2010. On top of that, Mayo was also a Super Bowl Champion with the Patriots. New England beat the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX to end the 2014 season. He played eight seasons in the NFL, amassing 803 career tackles. His final season in the league was in 2015. It was a bounce-back season after he suffered injuries in 2013 and 2014.

Attempting to replicate Bill Belichick’s success with 266 games and six Super Bowls in New England will be nearly impossible but Mayo is one of the few who know what it takes to do it. According to Dan Graziano, there was a “sense” that Mayo was the key to the team’s succession plan leading up to Belichick’s departure.