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

1. DeMarcus Covington

When Bill Belichick – one of the greatest defensive football minds of all-time – departed New England last January, it felt reasonable to expect a regression from the Patriots defense. What was unexpected, however, was that New England's defensive unit would regress to the bottom third in the NFL in several major defensive categories.

New England dropped from sixth to 23rd in opponent yards per game, 14th to 25th in opponent points per game, and from 3rd to 25th in opponent rushing yards per game. The Patriots defensive unit also struggled to force turnovers – with only 12 takeaways this season. Only Jacksonville – who had nine – recorded fewer.

Following Jerod Mayo's hiring, Covington was elevated from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator. The 35-year-old joined the Patriots organization in 2017 as a coaching assistant, was promoted to outside linebackers coach in 2019, and served as the defensive line coach from 2020-23.

Since Covington was not lumped in with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt when Van Pelt was fired in the aftermath of Sunday's finale, his job is likely safe for the time being. However, his job security could likely only last until a new head coach is brought onboard.

When one NFL coach is fired, his coaching staff tends to follow suit. In all likelihood, the next Patriots head coach will be looking to implement his own staff in Foxborough, and Covington could have a tough time convincing his new boss to allow him to stay on staff – especially if the 2024 body of work is his interview.

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