The New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo immediately following their Jan. 5 game against the Buffalo Bills. Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft announced the move in a statement Sunday evening.
“For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Kraft said in his statement. “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.”
Kraft conducted a news conference at Gillette Stadium early Monday morning, taking full responsibility for firing Mayo.
“This whole situation is on me,” Kraft said in the conference. “I feel terrible for Jerod, because I put him in an untenable situation. I know that he has all the tools as a head coach to be successful in this league. He just needed more time before taking the job.”
The Pats concluded their season Sunday with a 23-16 victory over the Bills, bringing their season record to 4-13. This win also dropped New England from picking No. 1 in the 2025 draft to picking No. 4 instead.
“When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach,” Kraft continued in his statement. “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.”
“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,” Kraft said.
Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski played alongside Mayo on the Pats for six seasons. He described Mayo’s termination as unfair and surprising.
“I was shocked by that, and to happen that soon was a shocker to a lot of people, especially here at the desk, we were all surprised by that,” Gronk said on FOX Sports. “I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo. I mean, he never had the chance to develop as a head coach, he was just a rookie himself in that department.”
The Patriots’ front office will now start conducting interviews for the 16th head coach in franchise history, with Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel expected at the top of their list.
Mayo has not yet made a statement on his termination.
