On January 17, 2024, owner Robert Kraft expressed his excitement by bringing Jerod Mayo as the head coach of the Patriots. He was clearly optimistic that this coaching change would bring some other incredible chapters to the New England Patriots’s history. However, later this season, it turned out to be only one chapter for the team and the coach.

After an embarrassing 4-13 record in 2024, the Patriots’s owner, Robert Kraft made a harsh decision. Yes! They fired Jerod Mayo shortly after they won against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, January 5, 2025. Now, although Kraft took this decision for the betterment of the team, there’s something else to it too. According to NFL insider Aditi Kinkhabwala, she “was told that Mike Vrabel’s dalliance w/ #Jets was to put pressure on #Patriots to make a move. With a young, incredibly promising QB (who improved every week despite very little talent around him), more cap space than anyone and stable ownership, of course the NE job ranks high.”

So, that means, Vrabel’s interest in the Jets wasn’t just about the Jets themselves, it was actually a strategic move to pressure the Patriots into action. Now, with a new vacancy in the team after Jerod Mayo, it’s likely that Kraft will offer Mike Vrabel an offer that might interest him. Vrabel has six years of experience as Titans‘s head coach. With the Patriots, he will get his second HC role in his NFL career. And who knows, by joining the team for the next season, the Pats finally land on the right path?

Until then, it’s pretty sure the Patriots got rid of Jerod Mayo, despite giving him only one chance.

Why Jerod Mayo wasn’t given another chance?

Well, if we look closely at it, there could be several reasons why Robert Kraft believed that it was time to say Jerod Mayo goodbye. No doubt it was a tough season for Mayo and the Patriots. Kraft knew there would be growing pains, especially with a roster lacking talent. But as the season crumbled, patience wore thin. This was evident when fans hoped for a strong push after the late bye in Week 14. However, the team faltered. They lost 30-17 to the Cardinals, and next things got worse with a crushing 40-7 loss to the Chargers. With these hits, the chants of “Fire Mayo” echoed through a half-empty stadium in that Chargers game. But that’s not all about the story!

Jerod Mayo’s inconsistent communication didn’t help. And when linebacker Jahlani Tavai told fans not to boo, tensions rose even higher. Even a report from The Athletic’s Jeff Howe suggests that before welcoming Mayo into the team as HC, there were already tensions related to him. It is because the critics believed that Mayo “needed more experience game planning, involvement in play calling, handling bigger situational decisions.”

In addition, Jerod Mayo’s contradictory statements where he admitted that Drake Maye outplayed Jacoby Brissett for the QB 1 role. However, two days later, he named Brissett as the starter. This didn’t fit well with many, as the critics believed him to arguably be immature in public speaking. Despite their narrow win over the Bills on Sunday, the damage was already done. Hence, Robert Kraft decided to fire Jerod Mayo. And with that, he promised the fans better days ahead, saying firing Mayo was the first step to getting the team back to championship form.

It’s clear the Patriots have a lot of rebuilding to do. But Kraft is determined to set things right. Probably with Mike Vrabel, who just ended his contract with the Browns as their coaching and personnel consultant in 2024.