This will be one of the big questions of the offseason and it will be an interesting one.
Mayo is an excellent captain and leader, and his dedication to football and Belichick’s appreciation of what he brings to the field has been clear…
BUT…
Hightower looks like a capable replacement as play-caller as Mayo is coming off his second-straight injury-shortened season. Mayo has speed and intangibles, but has never been a pivotal playmaker.
Boiled down to the pure financials of it, Mayo’s cap hits are $10.6 million and $10.4 million the next two seasons. That’s a lot and given the history of the Patriots, it makes him a prime target for restructure.
Mayo seems like the kind of guy who would understand that. He just saw it happen last year with Wilfork.