Less than two hours after defeating the Buffalo Bills to improve to 4-13, the Patriots announced that they were firing Jerod Mayo after one season.
Now, for a second-straight off-season the Patriots will be involved in finding a new head coach, a search that is expected to be in-depth and thorough, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Shortly after, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft released a statement citing it was one of the “hardest things” he’s had to endure in his life.
“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.”
Mayo only lasted one season with the Patriots, the shortest tenure of any Patriots coach since Rod Rust was the head coach in 1990. The year was filled with mistakes on and off the field which showed a team that lacked good coaching. The undisciplined culture resulted in shocking media appearances from players and coaches.
The last team to fire a coach after one season was the Carolina Panthers when they let Frank Reich go in 2023.
Before being hired by the Patriots Mayo interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos. NFL Network reported that Kraft was worried that Mayo might leave the Patriots so the front office specifically changed the wording in his contract so once Belichick left, Mayo would take over.
As opposed to Belichick, Mayo often spoke too much to the media and made remarks that he often had to take back. Mayo called the Patriots “a soft football team” in October and just recently said the team would be benching Rhamondre Stevenson but Stevenson took the field like normal.
Jerod Mayo was drafted by the Patriots in 2008 winning one Super Bowl with the team and appearing in 111 games over eight seasons. Belichick hired the former player in 2019 as an assistant coach.
“I am grateful for Jerod’s many contributions to the New England Patriots throughout his career and will always be rooting for his success. I appreciate all his hard work and hope the experiences gained will help him in the future, as I still believe he will be a successful head coach in this league. I wish Jerod and his family nothing but success in the future.”
Right now, the front office is expected to remain but it’s unclear whether there will be any other firings.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
