Who is Bill Belichick's successor and what's next for New England Patriots?

Jerod Mayo, a former Patriots player who has been an assistant coach in New England since 2019, has been hired as Foxborough's next head coach in place of Bill Belichick and will make his debut the following week.

Mayo, 37, played linebacker for New England from 2008 to 2015 and was a member of the Patriots for his whole career. In 2019, he returned to the team as an inside linebackers coach according to Fox Sports.

Mayo's older brother, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams, will give way to him as the NFL's youngest head coach.

As a player, Mayo was chosen by New England out of the University of Tennessee in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Mayo recorded a total of 905 tackles in 103 games over his eight NFL seasons. He led the NFL in tackles and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2010 and 2012.

On Thursday, Belichick and the Patriots decided to part ways after 24 years and six championships.

During his mostly short press conference on Thursday, Belichick expressed his gratitude to the players, staff, and fans for their efforts over his long career.

In the NFL, "players win games," according to Belichick. "I’ve been very, very fortunate to coach some of the greatest players to ever play the game." Once Belichick expressed his emotions, veteran team owner Robert Kraft took the podium and stated the squad was leaving on good terms.