5 Patriots on the Chopping Block Next After Jerod Mayo's Firing

After Bill Belichick led the New England Patriots for 24 straight seasons through the conclusion of last year's campaign, the franchise will be moving onto their third head coach in as many seasons. Belichick's successor, Jerod Mayo, was fired by the Patriots on Sunday following a lone 4-13 season at the helm.

News regarding Mayo's firing broke soon after the team's regular season finale at Gillette Stadium and was confirmed shortly after in a statement from Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Mayo's parting gift? A 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in a glorified exhibition game that dropped New England's draft position from first overall to fourth overall.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was fired as well. Van Pelt had also only served a single season in his role.

Already, rumors have begun to swirl that New England's rush in dismissing Mayo could be at least in part due to the organization's pursuit of Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel, who interviewed with the rival New York Jets. Vrabel was most recently the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023 and served as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Cleveland Browns this season.

The franchise that was once regarded as the epitome of stability in not just the NFL – but all of professional sports – has decayed into instability resulting from two consecutive 4-13 seasons. Another offseason of questions lies ahead, and Mayo and Van Pelt are likely only the beginning of an impending overhaul at all levels of the organization. Following Sunday's firing of Mayo, here are five more Patriots on the chopping block.

5. Javon Baker

Javon Baker was taken with the 110th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of UCF as part of a dreadful draft day pick swap. After being drafted, the receiver promptly declared "Come to the stadium and bring y'all popcorn. That's all I can tell y'all. Bring your popcorn. I make people in wheelchairs stand up."

Baker's quote didn't quite hit as hard following a disastrous rookie season. He caught a pass for 12 yards in the third quarter on Sunday against Buffalo – his first and only catch of his entire rookie season. Baker finishes his rookie season with four targets for one reception and 12 yards.

Beyond being a complete non-factor on the field, Baker had several off-field distractions that included an incident following a traffic ticket and a curfew violation during the team's overseas trip to London.

The Patriots will undoubtedly be in the market for receiver help this offseason and explore upgrading that position group through the draft, free agency, and the trade market. Not doing so would be pure negligence on the part of the player personnel department. With Baker's nearly non-existent level of production and discipline concerns, he has his work cut out for him to remain in the fold going forward.