Mayo acknowledges Patriots' new reality after failed pursuit of Aiyuk

“What I will say is, when we start to win games, guys will want to come here.”

Jerod Mayo’s entering his first season as the head coach of the Patriots. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)

Brandon Aiyuk’s disinterest in the Patriots was further proof that the dynasty days are over, with a new reality that some players aren’t itching to play in New England.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo confronted the situation when asked about the narratives surrounding the Aiyuk situation on Sunday, acknowledging that his team is working from the ground up.

“Yeah, look, we’re always trying to get better,” Mayo told reporters when asked if it’s difficult to hear that the Patriots aren’t a desirable destination. “I think Aiyuk is still in San [Francisco] right now, and he didn’t go to some other teams as well.

“What I will say is, when we start to win games, guys will want to come here. When we start to establish the culture, establish the roster, I think guys will be excited to come back.”

The Patriots seemed to be a finalist in the Aiyuk sweepstakes, which haven’t been resolved yet. They reportedly had the parameters of a trade to acquire Aiyuk in place with the 49ers. New England was allowed the opportunity to negotiate an extension with Aiyuk, who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal.

But the Patriots’ pursuit of Aiyuk hit a roadblock. New England offered Aiyuk a deal that would’ve made him one of the five-highest-paid receivers in the NFL on an annual basis, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported. Aiyuk didn’t reciprocate the interest, showing no desire to play in Foxborough due to the quarterback situation, The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported.

The Patriots revamped their quarterback room after disappointing showings from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe in 2023. They signed veteran Jacoby Brissett and selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick after trading Jones.

None of those moves were enough to entice a high-profile wide receiver to head to New England this offseason, though. The Patriots also heavily pursued Calvin Ridley in free agency, but he opted to sign with the Titans even after New England had a deal in place with Brissett.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft later said Rildey opted to sign with Tennessee because his girlfriend didn’t want to leave the South.

Regardless of the reasoning, the Patriots have fallen short in trying to acquire a big-name receiver twice this offseason. While money can certainly entice players, going 4-13 last season with arguably the worst offense in the league is seemingly making it tougher for the Patriots to add notable players.