FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Patriots defensive players are sitting in their meeting room waiting for their lesson to start. Before Jerod Mayo speaks, Christian Barmore pipes up.

By this point, players know what’s about to happen. Right on cue, Barmore is making fun of Mayo’s hairline. The defensive tackle likes to point out that his 37-year-old coach has a growing bald spot in his head. Mayo wastes no time with his comeback, making fun of Barmore’s shape.

“How are you big and tall but have skinny legs?”

The room erupts in laughter. Prior to their defensive meeting and before Mayo gets down to business, the team’s linebackers coach brings a light-hearted tone to the day.

“I’m little bro, he’s big bro. That’s all,” Barmore said. “We just talk smack to each other. We go at each other just playing around. It’s a big bro, little bro perspective. We talk smack all the time.”

The Mayo-Barmore exchange was just one of many this season. Barmore, the Patriots’ rising defensive tackle, has a unique personality and often jokes with teammates and coaches. Mayo, a rising coach in the NFL, almost always has the perfect retorts. He’s the type of coach who’s easily approachable but demands respect when it comes time to focus.

“You’d have to be in the meeting room,” Josh Uche said. “His tone of voice, the jokes, and with Barmore, for example, he’s always cracking jokes. When Barmore is being a little disruptive in meetings, he knows how to get him back into check whether it be with a joke. Coach Mayo is not scared of going at anybody.”

During this difficult season, Mayo’s lighthearted tone has gone a long way. It’s one of the many reasons Patriots defensive players admire their coach.

After the Patriots 2023 season ends on Sunday, the franchise will enter an offseason like no other. With growing speculation that this game against the New York Jets could be Bill Belichick’s last in New England, Mayo has emerged as a favorite to be the next head coach of the Patriots.

If that happens, it would be welcomed by the Patriots who were coached by him this season. Over the last month, MassLive spoke with 14 Patriots veteran defensive players on the record. Here’s why Mayo would be a popular choice.

HE’S A PLAYERS’ COACH

The exchange with Barmore is one example of why players love Mayo’s coaching

A Pro Bowl linebacker and Super Bowl champion, Mayo has a background that makes it easy for him to relate to his pupils. Mayo understands what it’s like to be in his players’ shoes because he played at a high level. He also understands how off-field distractions come into play.

Combine his great sense of humor with his football acumen and Mayo has developed into arguably the most popular assistant coach inside Gillette Stadium. When asked to describe him, players had similar answers.

“Two words I would use to honestly describe him – players’ coach,” linebacker Mack Wilson said. “Defensively when he talks and is in front of the room, everybody listens. Everybody’s locked in. It’s hard to explain, you’d have to be a player to see, but he’s a great coach overall. I feel like his time is coming.”

“Players’ coach,” defensive back Jalen Mills agreed. “Coached to play ball at a very high level. You can have those side conversations with him. He can have them back with you because he can relate.”

Drafted by the Patriots 10th overall in 2008, Mayo was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after finishing with 128 tackles. From there, he became one of Bill Belichick’s leaders as a captain and developed into an All-Pro middle linebacker. Mayo was beloved by teammates. He was hardworking and smart, but his personality made him a favorite as well.

As a player, Mayo was known for his sense of humor. He was quick-witted, sharp and not afraid to trade barbs with anyone inside the locker room. His sense of humor stayed with him when he became a Patriots assistant coach in 2019.

“He’s probably making a joke right now to somebody,” linebacker Jahlani Tavai said. “Just that type of energy is what we need, especially during these tough times. He doesn’t change.”

Mayo’s personality is a big reason why players loved being coached by him. He keeps them in check but can make them laugh when times are tough. This season, which is the worst Patriots season since 2000, his sense of humor has gone a long way to easing players’ tension.

“He’s a players coach. Fiery, fun guy,” safety Jabrill Peppers said. “Very playful, but when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. I think the combination of both goes a long way because at times it gets a little strenuous. It does get a little monotonous, so having a guy who can come in there and ease the tension but at the same time, he demands a standard from you. When you don’t play up to that standard, he’s going to let you know.”

“I think it helps,” added cornerback Myles Bryant. “You come in on a Wednesday early in the morning and we’re talking football. Guys are tired. Especially coming off a game week, guys are tired, but him cracking jokes kind of gets us through it sometimes.”

The combination of his football smarts, career resume, and personality makes Mayo a special coach in the eyes of his players. Those tired players feed off his energy

“A guy who is full of energy,” defensive lineman Deatrich Wise said. “Cares about his team. Cares about his fellas and really gets the best out of every guy that he talks to.”

“Great leader. Great energy,” defensive tackle Davon Godchaux added. “Demands presence when he speaks. He’s a good guy.”

HOW HE HELPS THE PATRIOTS

When Mayo speaks, players listen.

Although he’s listed on the team’s website as the Patriots linebackers coach, Mayo does much more. While fellow linebackers coach Steve Belichick calls defensive plays, it’s Mayo who runs the defensive meetings.

It was no surprise last weekend when Wise credited Mayo with helping the defense prepare to play against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Mayo’s duties include breaking down defensive practice and game film and detailing its corrections. He also breaks down the opponent’s offense and has a major hand in creating the game plan.

This has led to relationships with every defensive player on the roster.

“It’s like a shot of espresso in the morning,” safety Adrian Phillips said. “He always has a smile on his face and the way he thinks about the game and the way that he thinks about our players is different than the way other coaches think about us. A lot of people think of it as X’s and O’s, he thinks of it as something totally different.”

“He’s very lighthearted, light-spirited,” Jonathan Jones said. “When he comes into meetings there’s a sense of control. He’s just calm, funny and when he comes in, he has that same sense of humor.”

As a middle linebacker, Mayo was the quarterback of Belichick’s defense. His job was to know what everyone needed to do – in front of him on the defensive line and behind him in the secondary – before every snap. Mayo’s ability to read an offense and move his teammates around quickly earned him respect in New England.

When he’s running these defensive meetings, that football IQ comes out. He explains what his players need to do in a way that’s easy to digest.

“As a coach, he’s dynamic,” said linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. “Definitely helps you think outside of the box. Makes you think about stuff in terms of concepts rather than just what we’re doing as a defense or what they’re doing as an offense. He’s more so thinking ‘How is the offense thinking? How does the coordinator view you? How does he view our scheme?’ Things like that – helping you play plays in your head before they actually run them.”

“I think he does a good job of translating for us to where we understand. He brings a lot of energy and a lot of understanding,” added safety Kyle Dugger. “He’s efficient. He tells you this is what you’re supposed to do. He gives you insight and wants to hear what you say about why you did what you did and he gives you from his experience or what it does when you think like that. He’s trying to give you perspective.”

From his playing career, Mayo knows when to push his players, but also understands when he needs to take his foot off the gas pedal. Conversely, he knows how to motivate and can easily see when a player isn’t giving full effort.

“I think he has a gift of being able to read the room and understand if guys don’t feel like practicing today, getting them together and trying to get them going,” Bryant said. “If guys have a lot of energy, he’ll keep it going. That’s something he does well.”

“We all feed off his energy,” Barmore added. “I feel like we all listen to him because he sees it whether we’re (messing around) or are locked in. He’ll call us out every time.”

HOW HE HELPS THE PLAYERS

Jerod Mayo cares.

He listens and doles out life advice when asked and makes it a point to know them personally. He understands how off-field distractions come into play during every NFL season. Mayo knows that problems outside of football happen to everyone.

“For me personally, it’s father, son-ish,” Josh Uche said. “When I first came in, there’s a lot of things I was missing in terms of development, personally. He just has so much patience in terms of allowing me to mature. That can be a process. His knowledge of the game and patience, how much he relates to guys is truly amazing. It’s a blessing – somebody who looks like me, who’s played the game and is where I aspire to be one day. There’s no better role model.”

“If you have any issue with playing or an issue with something you’re able to approach him and he won’t solve it, but give you good advice,” added Lawrence Guy. “You need someone you can relate to. That you can talk to and they’ll tell you what they think and you get better from that.”

Mayo speaks to them like he’s one of them because he used to be. He also impresses others with his willingness to hear others out and lets players speak out if they disagree.

His communication and attitude fosters an upbeat environment where players enjoy coming to work. Players know what to expect from Mayo’s mood and attitude.

“He’s an unconventional coach. He really thinks outside the box,” Phillips said. “With him being a former player and being a good player, he’s able to use what he learned as a player and the way he was coached as a player and mold it and transform it into his own style. I think that’s what makes him good. Obviously, you have coaches that were former players, but not everyone can do that and not everybody can connect with each guy on the team. He has a real gift of connecting with people.”

“In no way shape or form has he changed as a person or anything like that. If anything, that helps us as a defense,” added Bentley. “We’re kind of free-flowing. We all enjoy what we’re doing. We have fun doing it.”

PLAYERS WANT TO ‘PLAY’ FOR HIM

Jerod Mayo is going to be a head coach in the NFL. His players see it. Others around the NFL do, too.

In 2021, two years after he became an assistant coach, Mayo interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles for their head coaching job. In 2022, he interviewed with the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders. Last year, he declined a chance to interview with Carolina.

Around the same time, the Patriots issued a statement saying that the team and Belichick had begun “contract extension discussions” with Mayo “that would keep him with the team long term.” The press release made it seem like the Patriots were keeping their popular assistant around to eventually replace Belichick.

That would line up with the contract details. According to NBC Sports Boston, Mayo and Belichick’s deals end after 2024. With those plans potentially being sped up, players inside Gillette Stadium say it’s easy to see Mayo has a head coach.

“I would love to play for Mayo,” Phillips said. “I think anybody in this locker room would love to play for him. He’s just that type of guy.”

“Any team that gets him would be very lucky,” Bentley added. “Players love him. I love to play for him. He gets the best out of his players. At the same time, he understands as far as the culture and everything how to get everybody going. That’s what he’s done with the linebacker unit. It’ll be great for whatever team gets him.”

It’d be easy for Patriots owner Robert Kraft to sell Mayo as the team’s next head coach. He’s different enough from Belichick that he might avoid the missteps other former Patriots assistants have made as head coaches.

The Belichick coaching tree hasn’t been successful. Other coaches have failed trying to emulate the environment grown in Foxborough. Belichick is a tough coach, who points out players’ flaws every week. He rules with an iron fist but has six Super Bowl titles to back it up. That’s a lot harder to emulate in today’s environment – especially when your name isn’t Bill Belichick.

Mayo is different. He’s developed under Belichick both as a player and a coach. However, he’s more of a modernized version of the future Hall of Fame coach since he’s less than 10 years removed from playing in the NFL.

“I can see him being a head coach,” Wise said. “He does well with the guys, not only a players’ coach but knows the game, knows how to get the best out of everybody. Knows when to be serious. Knows when to have a good time. He’s a well-rounded guy and a well-rounded coach.”

“I think it’d be cool,” Bryant added. “He was a player so he’s going to have a special relationship with the players and understand that aspect of it. It would just be exciting. I would for sure like to see that sometime in the future. I think he has all the tools and assets needed to be a good head coach.”

Whoever replaces Belichick will be in the shadow of the greatest head coach in NFL history. The players believe Mayo is up for it.

“Man, he’d be a really great head coach,” Barmore said. “He’d be a funny guy. He understands players. He teaches players. He’s everything a player would want.”

“I feel like he’s ready,” added Wilson. “Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I feel like he’s going to be ready. I can’t wait to see it, honestly.”

“He’d be a coach I want to play for. I’d run through a wall for him,” Uche said. “I love players’ coaches. Guys that take it deeper than the X’s and O’s. It’s more personal. You want to go out and do a good job because you know you have someone behind you who’s backing and supporting you.

“I’m all in on Mayo.”

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