Jerod Mayo learned well from Bill Belichick when talking about potential Brandon Aiyuk trade
By Lior Lampert
Monday marked a potentially massive development in the seemingly never-ending stalemate between Brandon Aiyuk and the San Francisco 49ers.
Intel from NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco suggests Aiyuk has his choice of two teams -- the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. While nothing has officially materialized yet, we're inching closer to Aiyuk playing elsewhere in 2024. But will he be joining the Patriots or Browns? Or will a mystery suitor emerge?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been routinely connected to Aiyuk and recently "re-engaged" in discussions with the Niners for him, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. So, they remain a team to watch in the ongoing sweepstakes.
Meanwhile, the Patriots, Browns, Steelers and 49ers have other things to handle, like training camp. Nonetheless, blocking out the outside chatter and focusing on what's happening on the field amid the uncertainty can be challenging. However, New England head coach Jerod Mayo took a page from his predecessor Bill Belichick's book regarding the Aiyuk drama, avoiding the topic entirely.
Jerod Mayo learned well from Bill Belichick when discussing a potential Brandon Aiyuk trade
Mayo got ahead of the curve during his press conference on Tuesday, cutting to the chase about the Aiyuk buzz:
"I know what all you guys want to know, but one thing I learned from Bill [Belichick] is I don’t talk about players on other teams, so let me just go ahead and say that now ... as a player, I appreciated that -- I appreciated that the only opinions that mattered were inside the walls. So, I’m still trying to apply that now going forward."
Despite prefacing his media availability with a statement about not discussing Aiyuk, reporters still asked Mayo for an update on the situation. In response, the 38-year-old said that's a query better suited for Patriots lead executive Eliot Wolf.
"I'll be honest with you, that's more of an Eliot [Wolf] question," Mayo stated. "Right now, I'm just focused on the guys out here -- the New England Patriots."
Mayo may be a first-year sideline general, but he has a firm grasp of coachspeak following his eight-year NFL playing career under Belichick. Based on his comments, mum's the word on the Aiyuk front until/if the 49ers and Pats agree on a deal.
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