Mayo sets precedent with comments on Patriots contract disputes originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
For the past 24 years, the marching orders for Bill Belichick’s players in New England have been clear: Focus only on what you can control and avoid unnecessary distractions.
It’s safe to say that those orders changed under Jerod Mayo.
That became clear during the first week of training camp, when Patriots star pass rusher Matthew Judon publicly expressed his desire for a new contract on Wednesday and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux essentially stated on Friday that he’s undervalued.
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Both players’ comments would likely have been grounds for disciplinary action in the Belichick era. But Mayo seems to have a very different philosophy about players speaking their minds.
“No, no. I’m fine with it. I don’t want to put a cap on it,” Mayo said Friday at the Patriots’ training camp when outfielder Phil Perry asked Mayo if he thought Judon’s comments about his contract undermined those in leadership positions like Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf.
“If that guy feels a certain way, he has the privilege to come here and tell you how he feels. I have to respect that no matter what. At some point, a player is going to come here and say, ‘You know what, I hate Coach Jerod’ or ‘I hate Mayo.’ That’s how they feel, and I respect that.”
Translated: Patriots players are free to say what’s on their minds, even if that means publicly airing grievances about their contracts or criticizing their head coach.
That’s essentially a 180-degree turn from Belichick’s approach to media relations, but it’s not a surprising stance for Mayo as a former player and Patriots captain who was a respected member of New England’s locker room. The 38-year-old head coach actually sees an advantage in transparency with the media.
“I know we want to keep as much of it in-house as possible, but there are going to be times when they come out here and express themselves. I think that’s good,” Mayo said. “Look, they’re listening to the interview here and I’m listening to their interviews. I’m not talking to you guys, I’m talking to the players, honestly. That’s how I feel about it.
“As the season progresses, I want the relationship with the media from a coach’s perspective and also from a player’s perspective to be a good relationship. I’m not saying you have to write all the positive articles. You write your own opinion; that’s what you get paid to do.”
The Patriots have won six Super Bowls and nine AFC titles under Belichick’s ironclad approach, and the jury is still out on how Mayo’s anything-goes philosophy will impact the team, positively or negatively. But there’s no doubt that things will be different in Foxboro with Mayo calling the shots.
