The New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday night, just one season after he was promoted as their successor to the great Bill Belichick.
Mayo’s dismissal came after New England’s 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on the final day of the regular season as the Patriots ended their third straight losing campaign at 4-13.
“I informed Jerod Mayo after the game today that he will not be returning as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” owner Robert Kraft said in a statement.
“For me personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve known Jerrod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration for his play on the field and his leadership throughout his career in our community.
“When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was more evident because I saw how the players responded to him.
“When other teams started interviewing him, I was afraid I was going to lose him and I made a commitment to make him our next head coach. Winning our season opener in Cincinnati only reinforced my convictions.
“Unfortunately, our team’s performance trajectory throughout the season did not pick up as I had hoped.”
Mayo previously played eight seasons with the Patriots, winning a Super Bowl in the 2014 season.
He eventually returned in 2019 to join Belichick’s staff as the inside linebackers coach, establishing himself as one of the most highly regarded defensive minds in football.
His popularity saw him emerge as the leading candidate to take over from Belichick when and if his time in Foxboro was up. That moment came in 2023 after a 4-13 record when the Patriots moved on from Belichick six wins out of nine Super Bowl wins and 24 seasons. after leading.
At age 37, he began the season as the NFL’s second-youngest head coach behind Seattle’s Mike McDonald.
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Highlights from the NFL Week 17 matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots.
“I am grateful for Jerrod’s many contributions during his career with the New England Patriots and will always be rooting for his success,” Kraft added.
“I appreciate all his hard work and I hope the experience he gained will help him in the future as I still believe he will be a successful head coach in this league. I wish Jerrod and his family nothing but success in the future.” :
The torrid season included encouraging signs from rookie quarterback Drake May, whose performances should allow the Patriots to prioritize other positions in the NFL draft if they choose.
New England began the campaign with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals before losing six straight, including a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, after which Mayo divided critics by suggesting his team played “soft”.
The Patriots responded with two wins in their next three against the New York Jets and Chicago Bears on either side of an overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans before reeling off six more games, including a 40–7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in late December.
Mayo’s departure comes as Mike Vrabel’s name has re-entered the league’s list of head coaching candidates, with the former Tennessee Titans head coach winning three Super Bowls while in New England.
