5 leading candidates if the Panthers cut ties with head coach Matt Rhule

Jerod Mayo

This is a little out of the left field and would certainly be a massive surprise. But someone like Jerod Mayo might also find himself as a potential head-coaching candidate this offseason despite his relative lack of experience.

Mayo is a former All-Pro linebacker, Super Bowl winner, and a first-round pick. So he would immediately command the respect of whatever locker room he ended up in charge of.

This phenomenal success on the gridiron has transitioned well to a coaching environment.

Mayo is gaining rave reviews for his work as a linebacker coach with the New England Patriots – a team where he starred as a professional himself. He is also regarded as one of the primary man managers in the game and can provide a motivational spark that the Carolina Panthers have been lacking under Matt Rhule recently.

One slight on Mayo’s prospects would be he hasn’t been a coordinator just yet. That might be the next step for him rather than jumping straight into a head coaching role.

However, stranger things have happened across the NFL.

Selecting coaches from the Bill Belichick tree is a gamble and not a guarantee for improvement based on what we’ve seen so far. But there is no denying Mayo might have what it takes to secure a top job somewhere down the line.