The New England Patriots enjoyed decades of stability at the head coaching position, but for the third time in three seasons, they will have a new man lurking on the sidelines. That’s because the team announced Sunday it has decided to part ways with Jerod Mayo after just one season on the job after succeeding Bill Belichick in Foxborough.
This decision by Robert Kraft and the Patriots brass comes after a 4-13 season where the club finished last in the AFC East for the second year in a row. It also comes as the club missed out on the No. 1 overall pick by defeating the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale, and will now own the No. 4 overall selections at this year’s draft.
“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,” Robert Kraft said in a statement. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.
“Since buying the team, I have always considered myself and my family as custodians of a public asset. We have tremendous fans who expect and deserve a better product than we have delivered in recent years. I apologize for that. I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.
“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.”
Mayo, who played his entire career as a linebacker for the Patriots, had long been eyed as the successor to Belichick by Kraft. Mayo reportedly even had language in his contract when he was an assistant coach that detailed the team’s succession plan to make him the next head coach post-Belichick, which was communicated to the league office at the time. Kraft also told Prime Video back in September that he “picked him five years ago to be our next head coach.”
Given those long-laid plans to bring Mayo to this position, moving on from him after one season is quite jarring. However, as the season played out — particularly down the stretch — opened the door for ownership to make this move.
Initially, there was promise that the Patriots had pulled the correct lever by promoting Mayo, particularly after the team upset the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in the regular-season opener. However, the team came crashing back down to reality after that, dropping six straight.
That final game in that losing streak came in London against the Jaguars, where Mayo called out his team for being “soft,” which sent shockwaves around the organization at the time. The Patriots momentarily responded to Mayo’s comments by defeating the Jets the following week but have since reverted to poor, undisciplined play.
Throughout a large chunk of the season, Mayo’s job appeared to be secure despite the team’s shortcomings. However, the final month of the year can be looked at as the nail in his coffin. After the Week 14 bye, New England was blown out by the Cardinals on the road, blew a 14-point lead to the Bills, and then was shellacked by the Chargers at home in Week 17. In that time, the team’s execution decayed, putting Mayo’s job security squarely in doubt.
Beyond the sheer record and play on the field, Mayo also dealt with some media gaffs that featured the head coach, oftentimes backtracking prior comments or simply doing the opposite of what he said he was going to do. An example of that latter point came in Week 17 when he told the radio broadcast pregame that running back Antonio Gibson would start over Rhamondre Stevenson, but Stevenson would end up getting the starting nod.
Given that the franchise successfully found its quarterback of the future in Drake Maye and is now armed with a top five pick and the most cap space available in the league this offseason, it appears the Krafts view this inflection point in the club’s history to be too delicate to leave in the hands of a still-developing coach in Mayo. And that has now led the club on another head coaching search.
