Longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reportedly knew about and supported the plan for Jerod Mayo to be his successor.
According to Chad Graff of The Athletic, the Patriots put the successor language in Mayo's contract in January 2023, and it was also included in Belichick's reworked contract.
Outside of owner Robert Kraft, Belichick, Mayo and key members of the organization knowing about idea, Graff noted that Mayo taking over was a "secret" plan.
Graff added that Belichick would have remained the Pats' head coach through 2024 "in an ideal situation" since it would have allowed him to potentially surpass Don Shula's all-time NFL head coaching wins record in New England, and it also would have given Belichick more time to prepare Mayo to take over for him.