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Patriots Extend LB Jerod Mayo to 5-year Contract

One day before their showdown in Denver, the Patriots inked up its best defensive player to a new contract.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Patriots re-signed Jerod Mayo to a 5-year extension.

Mayo was the No. 10 overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the Patriots, Mayo quickly etched his name as one of the most productive linebacker’s in team history with 474 total tackles.

Known for his sure-tackling, Mayo has also been extremely resilient. In a 31-19 win over Oakland on Oct. 3, Mayo sprained his MCL. He was back anchoring the Patriots defense in just three weeks (he only missed two games). In 2009, against the Buffalo Bills in the season opener, Mayo injured his knee — although it seemed he’d miss 4-6 weeks, he was back in Week 5.

It’s hard to take anything positive from this defense, but if you did, it would start with No. 51.

With Mayo’s future determined, it’s time for the Patriots to start putting adequate pieces around the franchise-cornerstone linebacker.

About Matthew Marcantonio - My Twitter

Matthew Marcantonio is the Patriots and college football editor at Sports of Boston. Marcantonio has contributed for two newspapers; the Sentinel & Enterprise (Leominster, Mass) and The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La) and held internships with The Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated.

Tags: Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots