of new england patriots Coach Jerod Mayo was fired on Monday after just one season, but Wednesday's report revealed more details about his first year as an NFL head coach and how he came to that decision. Ta.
The Patriots closed out the season with a win over their AFC East rival. Buffalo Bills, But that wasn't enough to make owner Robert Kraft want to stick with Mayo.
New England Patriots head coach Jerrod Mayo walks on the field before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, January 5, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bucati)
“After the game, I informed Jerod Mayo that I would not be returning as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me personally, this was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made,” Kraft said. he said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the team's performance during the season did not improve as much as I had expected.''
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Mayo grew up in the Patriots' system, first as a Super Bowl-winning player during his eight-year career and then as a linebackers coach under Bill Belichick. But the “Patriots way” doesn't seem to have carried over into his coaching style.
According to a report from athletic, One memorable incident for those close to the situation occurred on the plane ride home after last month's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Mayo reportedly chose to play cards with his players instead of reviewing film with the coaching staff.
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo during the second half of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 15, 2024. (Mark J. Revilas-Imagen Images)
But after such a lopsided loss, the move that surprised some at the front of the plane, team officials said, was a first-year move for the team hand-picked by owner Robert Kraft to replace him. According to head coach Mayo, bill belichick “He left his seat near the front, returned to an area where some players had gathered to play cards, and hung out there while his assistants watched film,” Chad Graf's report said. “I made it,” it was written.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft takes responsibility after firing Jerod Mayo: 'All responsibility is mine'
“Look, there's a lot of ways to work,” a team official on the plane told Graff. “It's not that Jerrod's approach was definitively wrong, but I can't say I've seen anything like it before.”
Other sources added that Mayo's attempt to differentiate himself from Belichick may have failed.
“They felt Mayo tried too hard to be 180 degrees different from Belichick and had a hard time applying and enforcing discipline once he established himself as a player coach,” the report said. The book continued.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick turns the whistle during an NFL football practice Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
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For Kraft, he was responsible for much of Mayo's problems.
“This whole situation is my fault. I feel terrible for Jerrod because I put him in an intolerable situation,” Kraft said at a news conference Tuesday. “We know he has all the tools to be successful in this league as a head coach, but he just needed a little more time.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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