The Patriots have a coaching vacancy, for the first time in 24 years. And, on paper, there should not be a search.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Patriots “established a firm, contractual succession plan in a prior contract.”
The NFL has confirmed that this continues to be a legitimate tactic to eliminate the need for a search that fully complies with the Rooney Rule, which currently requires two interviews with external minority candidates.
“The club would need to have language in the succeeding coach’s contract that is filed with the league prior to that season,” an NFL spokesperson told PFT in an email.
When this fairly considerable loophole to the Rooney Rule has been used in the past (e.g., when the Seahawks made Jim Mora the head coach in 2009, when the Colts made Jim Caldwell the head coach in 2009, and when the Ravens made Eric DeCosta the G.M. in 2018), the promotion has happened automatically. In this case, however, Rapoport characterizes Mayo as simply a “strong candidate” to replace Bill Belichick, “if he is the choice.”
But Mayo is already the choice. The succession plan has been put in place. Mayo is the next coach.
Unless he isn’t.
Per the NFL, if the Patriots decide not to follow through on the pre-existing commitment to elevate Mayo, that “would be an issue between the club and coach.”
In other words, the Patriots want to go in another direction (e.g., if they want to hire Mike Vrabel), they’ll have to work it out with Mayo. They’ll have to deal with whatever is in Mayo’s contract, if he doesn’t get the job now that the job has become open.
Basically, Mayo has already been promised the job. The team can un-promise him the job, but there could be contractual ramifications. And it could be expensive for the Patriots. But if owner Robert Kraft decides to pivot from Mayo to, say, Vrabel, it would be simply a cost of doing business.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/report-patriots-contract-place-jerod-010137144.html
Author : ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-01-12 01:01:37
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