Denver Broncos request to interview sleeper head coach option
The Denver Broncos have made their first head coach interview request with the Patriots and sleeper candidate Jerod Mayo.
The Denver Broncos’ search for a new head coach is officially underway.
On Sunday, the Broncos and general manager George Paton decided to part ways with head coach Vic Fangio, who had held the role since 2019.
On Monday over the lunch hour, we officially have our first interview request put in by the Denver Broncos for a prospective head coach, and it’s for a true sleeper candidate…
NFL Black Monday 2022: Denver Broncos want to interview Jerod Mayo
Broncos requested permission to interview Patriots LB coach Jerod Mayo for their HC job, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2022
Multiple reports confirm that the Denver Broncos have an interest in talking with New England Patriots defensive assistant Jerod Mayo, a former player whose days as a player are truthfully not that far in the past.
Mayo was once the 10th overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft and played for the Patriots until 2015. In 103 career games, he racked up over 800 total tackles with a Super Bowl win and AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors as hardware.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time All-Pro has been an assistant on Bill Belichick’s staff for the last three years, and he’s been generating some hype leading up to this year’s head coaching circuit as a potential sleeper candidate for a variety of teams.
Denver Broncos general manager George Paton was asked on Sunday about whether or not he would prioritize experience in the team’s next head coach selection given the struggles they have had recently with two first-time head coaches.
Paton said essentially that he wants the best candidate overall regardless of experience and is willing to hear these coaches out on their plans.
Imagine if the Los Angeles Rams had not taken the time to listen to Sean McVay’s pitch and instead simply opted for a coach with experience.
Paton wants to emphasize leadership with the coach he hires, and that is something Jerod Mayo is certainly known for. In his annual article on NFL.com about rising head coach candidates, Tom Pelissero wrote this of Jerod Mayo:
"Still in just his third year in coaching, Mayo already has been on the radar for a couple of years as a legitimate candidate. The Eagles interviewed him for their head-coaching job in January and came away impressed with his rare leadership traits. Before going into coaching, Mayo played eight seasons for Bill Belichick in New England, running the defense and relaying the signals for most of that time, including as a rookie to the veteran likes of Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and Vince Wilfork. He now serves as the de facto coordinator of the NFL’s No. 2-ranked scoring defense. His pedigree and makeup are intriguing."
Intriguing, indeed.
Mayo certainly doesn’t give off the “qualified” vibe when it comes to comparing his experience versus other candidates, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t the right man for the job.
Given the fact he’s already had a chance to go through the interview process elsewhere, he should be able to present a pretty compelling case once again.
Although there’s no certainty that Mayo would leave New England for this particular job, there is a chance the Broncos could interview him for their head coach vacancy and wind up hiring him as a defensive coordinator.
Plenty of fans in Broncos Country are over it with defensive-oriented head coaches, and with how bad the offenses have been, that’s a fair sentiment. The Broncos want to truly hire the best candidate and Mayo could wind up being just that.
If there’s anything we know about George Paton, though, it’s that he clearly likes to hire/sign/draft in pairs or more. It wouldn’t be shocking if he tries to talk a couple of candidates into working together, be that Mayo and another option or someone else.