Patriots Owner Robert Kraft ‘Hopes’ Former Player Replaces Bill Belichick

While New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft still has faith in current head coach Bill Belichick, Kraft hopes to see a former player take over for the legendary coach when the time comes.

Speaking at the owner’s meetings on Monday, March 27, Kraft said that he hopes to see Jerod Mayo become a head coach in New England.

“There’s no ceiling on his ability to be a head coach, and he’ll be a head coach,” Kraft told reporters. “I’m sure of that. I hope he’s with us. So we’ll see what happens.”

Mayo turned down a defensive coordinator interview with the Cleveland Browns this offseason along with a head coach interview with the Carolina Panthers. This prompted New England to release a statement stating that they were committed to Mayo for the long term.

Kraft also spoke of his excitement regarding Mayo’s return in 2023.

“Jerod is an individual I think there’s no ceiling for his ability to grow and how competent he is,” Kraft told reporters. “We had the privilege of having him as a player, and I saw how intense he was and the leadership skills he had on the field. I saw him leave us and go into private industry and learn the X’s and O’s of business and then come back and be a coach and do that with us.

“Good coaches get hired away, so I was happy we were able to sit with him and try to keep him here long-term,” Kraft added. “I’m going to do everything I can to try to make that happen.”

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Robert Kraft Still Believes in Bill Belichick’s Head Coaching Ability

While Kraft is excited to see Mayo eventually become a head coach, it doesn’t mean that his faith in Belichick has wavered. The Patriots owner told reporters that he still believes in the head coach.

“Look, I think Bill is exceptional at what he does,” Lraft said. “And I’ve given him the freedom to make the choices and do the things that need to be done. And his football intellect and knowledge is unparalleled from what I’ve seen. Just, when you talk to him, the small things, analytically, that he looks at. But in the end, this is a business. You either execute and win or you don’t. That’s where we’re at. We’re in a transition phase. I think we’ve made some moves this year that I’m personally comfortable with. And I still believe in Bill.”

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Robert Kraft Was Upset With Performance of New England Patriots in 2022

The 2022 season was another rough one for New England. The Patriots failed to make the playoffs and New England has failed to win a playoff game in four straight seasons.

Kraft pointed to his years as a fan for why he has been bothered by the Pats postseason struggles.

“I had the privilege of being a fan for decades before buying the team, and I think in the end, I’m still a fan,” Kraft said. “My objective for our team is that we make the playoffs, because once you make the playoffs, anything can happen. But if you don’t, then your season ends in a way that doesn’t make me very happy.

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