January 13, 2021
The Philadelphia Eagles will interview New England Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo for their vacant head coaching job, according to a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
#Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo is expected to interview for the vacant #Eagles head coaching job this week, source said. The first HC interview for Mayo, who plays a key role in NE’s defense.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2021
As a player, Mayo was a former tenth overall pick of the Patriots in 2008, and he played eight years in the NFL, all with New England. He made two Pro Bowl rosters, and was a one-time first-team All Pro.
As a coach, Mayo only has two years of experience. His official title was "inside linebackers coach," which doesn't sound like much, but his role was bigger than that title would indicate. The Patriots don't have an official "defensive coordinator" on their staff. Mayo and "outside linebackers coach" Steve Belichick served as something of the top two defensive assistants under Bill Belichick. It should also be noted that Brian Flores was "only" the Patriots' linebackers coach when the Miami Dolphins hired him to be their head coach in 2019.
In the two years that Mayo has been on staff, here were the Patriots' defensive rankings:
| Year | Points | Yards | Takeaways | DVOA |
| 2019 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 |
| 2020 | 17 | 26 | 31 | 26 |
He was thought of as a fierce leader and highly intelligent player on the field in his playing days, and at just 34 years of age, Mayo is clearly thought of as a young riser as an NFL coach. Still, it's probably too soon for Mayo to make a huge leap to head coach at such a young age, and with only two years of coaching experience.
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