And The Head Coach Of The New England Patriots Is.....

Howdy,

We’ve got NFL news before we kick off a three-day weekend in which the NFL Playoffs start.

The big question of today is whether someone should go or not go to the NFL draft.

The big answer is who is going to fill Bill Belichicks’s coaching shoes?

There are also a few other signings in the football world that you should know about, and maybe there’s a taste of baseball in January.

Let’s go.

The New England Patriots Hire…

…Jerod Mayo as the new head coach.

Jerod Mayo will be the first black head coach in Patriots history, and New England didn't have to undergo a formal interviewing process to promote its linebackers coach because of a contractual succession plan with Mayo communicated to the NFL.

Some rumors were out the past few weeks that Mayo was rubbing some people the wrong way in Foxborough. Many thought Mike Vrabel would’ve been a great fit after he was let go by the Tennessee Titans.

Mayo is now the youngest head coach in the NFL, just a month younger than Rams coach Sean McVay.

Jerod Mayo had spent his 8-year playing career with the Patriots when he retired in 2016. After a stint in finance, Mayo jumped into coach with the Patriots in 2019.

The Patriots will be hiring a general manager to handle personnel decisions.

To Go Or Not To Go?

To Go:

Ohio State junior wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is declaring for the 2024 NFL draft, he announced Thursday. Harrison is likely be to a top 5 draft pick and could change any team’s receiver room for a while. Harrison finished the year with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Washington’s WR Rome Odunze and RB Dillon Johson have both declared for the NFL draft. Odunze had 1,640 receiving yards that led the nation. Odunze grabbed 13 touchdown passes and had 10 games of 100 or more yards. Dillon Johnson led the Washington rushing attack with almost 1200 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Not To Go:

Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers has opted out of the NFL draft and plans to return to Texas for another year of football. Ewers’ plan to return to Austin likely solidifies that head coach Steve Sarkisian isn’t going anywhere, not even to Alabama. This makes you understand why Maalik Murphy transferred out before the Sugar Bowl in December.

Other Signings

🏈 The Washington Commanders are planning to hire San Francisco’s assistant General Manager Adam Peter as their new GM. Peters, 49, has worked with the Niners since 2017, when he was hired as the vice president of player personnel. He was promoted to assistant GM, serving under John Lynch. This is one of the new owner’s moves after firing Ron Rivera this year. Josh Harris took over ownership in 2023 and has made it clear he has higher expectations than a 4-13 finish for this team.

🏈 Florida State’s head coach Mike Norvell has agreed to an 8-year extension with the university. The deal will pay him more than $10 million a season and this seems like another check off the box for an Alabama candidate.

⚾️ The Atlanta Braves are keeping GM Alex Anthopoulos around after extending his contract until 2031. Anthopoulos put together a team that won the 2021 World Series and the Braves have won six straight division titles since the GM arrived in Atlanta.

⚾️ The Yankees have made a few signing are newsworthy. The Yankees have signed 32-year-old pitcher Marcus Stroman to a two-year $37 million contract with an option for a third year if he pitches 140 innings in 2025. The Yanks have also avoided arbitration with Juan Soto after giving him a $31 million, one-year contract in the hopes of having a good relationship and resigning him when he hits the free agency market at the end of the season.

What’s On TV Tonight

NBA

🏀 Sacramento Kings @ Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 pm ET on ESPN

🏀 New Orleans Pelicans @ Denver Nuggets, 10 pm ET on ESPN

NHL

🏒 Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars, 8 pm ET on NHL Network

🏒 Philadelphia Flyers @ Minnesota Wild, 8 pm ET on ESPN+

Golf

⛳️ Round 2 Sony Oppen, Noon ET on ESPN and 7 pm ET on Golf Channel

That’s all for today. We’re glad we got to break that Patriots story to you just after it happened. Tune in tomorrow for a preview of all the NFL round 1 playoff games.

Enjoy those happy hours!

Cheers,

The Daily Breakroom