It took just one season for the Jerod Mayo era to end in New England.
The Patriots fired the first-year head coach immediately following Sunday's 23-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Even though no one expected Mayo to win a Super Bowl in Year 1, his dismissal was likely unavoidable after a 4-13 record forced the Patriots to miss the NFL playoffs for the third straight year.
Like Mayo, several players will also leave New England following disappointing 2024 performances. On the other hand, certain individuals who stick around might actually benefit from the 38-year-old HC's exit.
With that in mind, here are three Patriots who will benefit from Mayo's firing.
1. Ja'Lynn Polk, WR
Ja'Lynn Polk's rookie season didn't go the way the Patriots envisioned when they selected the promising wideout with the 2024 draft's 37th overall selection. The 22-year-old wideout oozed potential during his time at the University of Washington but failed to make a similar impact at the NFL level.
Outside of scoring two touchdowns, Polk struggled to generate any momentum this season. The Lufkin, TX native only mustered 87 receiving yards on 12 catches across 33 targets (36.4%) in 15 games despite playing 45% of offensive snaps.
If his performance wasn't grim enough, Polk his 43.1 offense and 45.4 receiving grades ranked dead-last among 125 eligible wide receivers on Pro Football Focus.
Even if his rookie campaign disappointed, Polk could turn things around now that Mayo is gone. The Washington product was quickly phased out of his coach's plans as the season went on, proven by his averaging 41.7 offensive snaps in his first seven games compared to an average of 18.0 in the final eight.
Limiting Polk's snap share meant he never had a real shot at breaking out of his funk. If he's to become a crucial part of the Patriots' attack going forward, New England's next HC must give the struggling pass-catcher as many chances as possible to reach his potential.
2. Drake Maye, QB
Although Drake Maye's first (and only) season under Mayo's watch was horrible, it could've been much better with a different coach at the helm.
One of the main reasons why the Patriots selected Maye third overall last year was because of his impressive running ability. The former Tar Heels QB racked up 1,209 rushing yards and 16 TDs on 302 carries across three seasons at North Carolina, leaving New England fans hopeful that his mobility would also lead to NFL success.
Even though Maye was never going to run as often as he did in college, Mayo could've used the former more often as a ball carrier. The 22-year-old signal-caller only averaged 4.3 carries per game from Week 6 onward compared to the 9.3 he averaged during his final collegiate campaign.
Impressively, Maye averaged more yards per carry as an NFL rookie (7.9) than he did during his three college seasons (4.0). That further illustrates how the Patriots' offense — which was among the league's worst — could've benefited by taking advantage of the Huntersville, NC native's mobility.
If Maye is ever going to reach his true ceiling, the Patriots' next head coach must be someone who isn't afraid to run the ball more frequently.
3. Kyle Dugger, S
If any Patriot needs a bounce-back performance after playing under Mayo for a year, it's Kyle Dugger.
The former 2020 second-rounder looked like he was on track to become one of the NFL's top safeties after four solid seasons to begin his career. His efforts were good enough to land him a $58 million extension for four years back in April, leaving to fanbase excited to see what he could do with Mayo leading the team.
Instead of thriving under the linebacker-turned-coach, Dugger experienced his worst performance during the 2024 campaign. The former Lenoir-Rhyne Bear finished his fifth NFL season with the worst coverage grade (34.8) among 97 eligible safeties on PFF after allowing 387 yards, six TDs, and a 141.3 passer rating on 36 completions.
Even though Mayo wasn't the sole cause of Dugger's struggles, he didn't do enough to help his player get out of a rut. The 28-year-old defender is one of the league's top safeties when he's on his game and it wouldn't be shocking if he returned to form beneath a coach who's a superior problem-solver compared to Mayo.
With all four years remaining on his extension, Dugger's play can only improve from where it was at this season.
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