Jim Harbaugh & Mike Vrabel Snubbed as Resilient Patriots Hire Jerod Mayo to Replace Bill Belichick

‘WWBD’, or ‘what would Bill do’, was the mantra in New England for 24 years. But what did the Patriots do after discharging him? They went with Belichick‘s in-house successor to try to emulate the legendary head coach by promoting Jerod Mayo. But that has proven to be a recipe for disaster in the past.

Per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Robert Kraft never reached out to the hot names in contention for Belichick’s replacement. Some of them were Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, and Ben Johnson. And the quick decision may lead the Patriots to a series of problems, even keeping the on-field activities aside.

Robert Kraft was prepared with the Jared Mayo decision

Russini is known for her takes on NFL insights which often come out as legit. Recently, the Athletic reporter claimed that Robert Kraft had his post-Belichick plan ready. That’s why the Patriots didn’t take time to execute it, to be specific less than 24 hours, to promote Mayo.

He left out some of the most potent names in American football to continue with the Patriots hierarchy. Wolverines championship-winning HC Jim Harbaugh, ex-Titans HC Mike Vrabel, and also Lions‘ OC Ben Johnson, all were sought-after names to succeed Belichick in New England.

Read More: Aaron Rodgers Is the ‘Last Human’ Bill Belichick Talked To on the Football Field, per Pat McAfee

Instead, someone from Belichick’s tree but without experience got Kraft’s nod. Historically, it hasn’t proved to be fruitful, but it’s even more complex being an intra-organizational decision this time. How tough is the road ahead for Jerod Mayo?

The challenges Jared Mayo needs to overcome to succeed

The biggest challenge that Mayo immediately feels would be with the coordinators and the General Manager position, which was held by none other than Belichick himself. But this time, the WWBD might not work, given Mayo isn’t close to Bill Belichick’s caliber, not yet at least. He has only been a coach for 5 years, too.

Furthermore, the organizational structure won’t allow him to distribute his tasks given it was meant for a singular empowered leadership. Which Belichick fulfilled perfectly. The new head coach has to make the final calls over the coaching staff, player-personnel roles, and many more like his predecessor. Once again, those responsibilities are too early for him to tackle.

Trying to follow Belichick’s formula while not being Belichick is calling for disaster. Matt Patricia, another disciple of Belichick, learned it the hard way as he found out that head coaching was more than just making the play calls. He went 13-29-1 with the Lions in 3 seasons before getting fired. Either of the previous three would have at least implemented their own formulas in such scenarios.

For all his critics and haters, Belichick was a larger-than-life figure and the unanimous organizational leader at the Patriots. Now that he’s gone, a GM-less franchise run by an inexperienced head coach is bound to feel the real challenges. Despite Kraft’s trust in Mayo, the real troubles have just begun, and it has nothing to do with their on-field performances, yet.

Watch This Story: 37-Year-Old Jerod Mayo Succeeds 71-Year-Old Bill Belichick; Set to Become NFL’s Youngest Head Coach