Perry: Patriots coaches have ‘air of uncertainty’ about job security

Sunday’s game at Gillette Stadium could be the last time several members of the Patriots coaching staff take the field for New England. And it appears they’re aware of that.

For much of the 2024 season, the expectation was that Jerod Mayo would remain the team’s head coach into 2025, with Robert Kraft and Patriots ownership understanding that their rebuild would take time despite New England’s on-field struggles.

But as the Patriots enter their season finale against the Buffalo Bills with a 3-13 record following a humiliating 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17, Patriots Insider Phil Perry revealed that some coaches on the staff are a bit more on edge about the possibility of sweeping changes.

“The nervousness inside the building is very real,” Perry said Sunday on Patriots Pregame Live, as seen in the video player above. “I’ve heard it from multiple different sources over the course of this last week since that Chargers game. To me, the 40-7 loss was embarrassing on multiple levels and I think could in a very real way change the equation for ownership as they look at the long-term future of their franchise.”

Mayo’s coaching staff isn’t in an enviable position; offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is dealing with one of the worst offensive lines in football and a wide receiver room devoid of top talent, while defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington has lost several core players due to trade (Matthew Judon) or injury (Ja’Whaun Bentley, Christian Barmore). That said, this Patriots team hasn’t been able to show any real progress on either side of the ball despite the presence of elite young players like quarterback Drake Maye and cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

As Perry explained, Week 18 presents one more opportunity for Patriots coaches and players to prove they deserve to be here past this season, which is why we could see some personal motivation Sunday for both those on the field and on the sidelines for New England.

“I spoke to quarterbacks coach TC McCartney here this week, and he said, ‘Listen, we’ve got a lot to play for. You’ve got a lot of competitive guys not only in that locker room, but on the coaching staff as well.’ So, it wouldn’t surprise me if the coaches themselves are coaching this game hard,” Perry said.

“The coaches want to win this game, and it may be because they’re not certain about their futures. There has been an air of uncertainty for the last seven days or so, according to the people that I’ve spoken to, about how things are going to land.

“… For there to be the level of uncertainty that I’m sensing, to me, leads me to believe that there’s a very real chance (the Patriots) end up moving from Jerod Mayo and maybe having sweeping change throughout the organization when it comes to the most important positions in the organization.

Check out the video above for Perry’s full take on Patriots Pregame Live.