The New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday evening, just one season on from promoting him as their successor to the great Bill Belichick.
Mayo’s dismissal came after New England’s 23-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills on the final day of the regular season, with the Patriots finishing 4-13 in their third straight losing campaign.
“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,” owner 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.”
Mayo previously spent eight seasons with the Patriots as a player, during which he won the Super Bowl during the 2014 season.
He eventually returned in 2019 to join up with Belichick’s staff as inside linebackers coach, asserting himself as one of the more highly-regarded defensive minds in football.
His popularity saw him emerge as a leading candidate to take over from Belichick when and if his time in Foxboro came to an end. That moment arrived on the back of a 4-13 record in 2023 as the Patriots moved on from Belichick after six victories from nine Super Bowl victories and 24 seasons in charge.
At the age of 37, he began the season as the second-youngest head coach in the NFL behind Seattle’s Mike Macdonald.
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Highlights of the clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots in Week 17 of the NFL.
“I am grateful for Jerod’s many contributions to the New England Patriots throughout his career and will always be rooting for his success,” added Kraft.
“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.”
A gruelling season did include encouraging signs from rookie quarterback Drake Maye, whose performances should allow the Patriots to prioritise other positions in the NFL Draft, should they wish.
New England began the campaign with victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, before losing six straight including a defeat 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 either side of an overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans, before suffering another six-game skid including a 40-7 blowout defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers at the end of December.
Mayo’s exit comes at a time when Mike Vrabel’s name has re-entered the pool of head coaching candidates around the league, the former Tennessee Titans head coach having won three Super Bowls during his time as a player in New England.