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Jerod Mayo would probably like to be head coach of the New England Patriots when Bill Belichick's two-plus decade run is over. Mayo won't, however, entertain questions about possibly replacing his current boss with a month to go in the 2023 season. 

That didn't stop a reporter from asking Mayo about his decision to re-sign with the Patriots last offseason instead of taking interviews for head coaching opportunities elsewhere. When Mayo did that, the outside belief was that the former Pro Bowl linebacker and current Patriots inside backers coach was being groomed as Belichick's heir apparent. 

"You've been here long enough," Mayo said in response to the question, via CBS News Boston. "You already -- I bet you can say the answer that I'm about to give you. We're 100% focused on the Chiefs. And you know, I only try to control the controllables and that's out of my control. 

"Hopefully as you guys all know, one day I want to be a head coach. Where that is, I don't know. But at the same time, I would say I have a lot of love for New England. I have a lot of love for the fans, the people around the building. And you know, my family, they love it here as well. So that would be great if I could stay here and continue to progress throughout my career, but we'll see."

Mayo would likely be a candidate to replace Belichick if team owner Robert Kraft actually does decide to part ways with Belichick after the season. Mayo likely wouldn't have re-signed with the team last year if he didn't think that it was a legitimate possibility. 

That being said, it wouldn't be a surprise if Kraft decided to undergo a thorough interview process that includes candidates inside and outside of the organization. 

Kraft has only been in that position twice before as Patriots owner. In 1997, he went outside the organization (passing over Belichick in the process) to hire Pete Carroll, who spent the previous two years as the 49ers' defensive coordinator. Three years later, Kraft decided to give Belichick an opportunity to coach his team after parting ways with Carroll after an 8-8 season. 

Given Mayo's youth (37 years old) and experience with the Patriots (as both a player as well as a coach), it seems like a natural fit for both coach and team. It's less clear, however, where Belichick will coach next as he continues his pursuit of becoming the winningest coach in NFL history.