How will the New England Patriots return to their former glory? According to NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks in his latest 2024 NFL mock draft, the Patriots will start their rebuilding process around a quarterback. Surprisingly, it’s not the quarterback you might expect. Brooks has Jerod Mayo and the Patriots selecting Michigan’s signal caller, JJ McCarthy, with the third overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
“Given Tom Brady’s success with the Patriots, picking McCarthy — the best quarterback in Michigan history — could be the right move for Eliot Wolf. Despite McCarthy’s limited experience as a passer, his athleticism, intangibles, and winning background could align with Jerod Mayo’s vision for a starting quarterback.”
After famously resigning as the head coach of the New York Jets on a napkin, Bill Belichick was hired as the Patriots’ head coach in 2000. This move followed a modest 36-44 record as the Cleveland Browns’ head coach from 1991 to 1995, and assistant coaching stints with the Patriots and Jets from 1996 until his hiring in 2000. Belichick’s tenure in New England started with a 5-11 season but quickly turned around, thanks in large part to Tom Brady stepping in for Drew Bledsoe after the latter’s injury in week 2 of the 2001 season.
Even with Bledsoe, who had just signed a record-breaking contract at the time, Belichick opted to stick with the hot hand in Brady, who was drafted 199th overall just months prior. The Patriots went on to defeat the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams to win their first Super Bowl. Belichick and Brady went on to win six Super Bowl titles together before Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2019 season.
While Brady won another Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, his seventh, Belichick faced the daunting task of replacing the greatest player in NFL history. This challenge has been evident as the Patriots struggled to a 4-13 record last season, leading to them owning the 3rd overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Additionally, Belichick will no longer be coaching the team, as Jerod Mayo will be taking over in New England.
