Jerod Mayo hints he knows why the Patriots couldn’t land Brandon Aiyuk

The New England Patriots were reportedly prepared to make Brandon Aiyuk one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, but the 26-year-old vetoed a trade to the AFC East club.

Aiyuk has been adamant that his top priority is getting paid — whether it’s by the 49ers or someone else — but that doesn’t seem to be the case after he rejected a deal from New England that would have made him $32M per year, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Multiple reports have indicated the Patriots’ quarterback situation was the biggest reason Aiyuk didn’t want to go to New England, but head coach Jerod Mayo believes there’s something else at play — something that could keep the team from being a destination spot for free agents and trade targets alike.

“When we start to win games, guys will want to come here,” Mayo told 98.5 The Sports Hub . “When we establish the culture, the roster, guys will be excited.”

The Patriots went 4-13 last season, and they’re ushering in a rebuild under Mayo, who’s in his first year as an NFL head coach. They also have a bit of uncertainty at quarterback, where Jacoby Brissett and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye are battling it out for the starting job.

The franchise also hasn’t had the same allure since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season. The Pats are just 29-38 over the last four years, finishing in third or fourth place in the division three times.

If Mayo is capable of leading a DeMeco Ryans-caliber turnaround like what happened in Houston last season, the Patriots should have no issue convincing players to want to come there.