Robert Kraft puts the blame on Jerrod Mayo's unsuccessful tenure with the Patriots.
Hours after Jerrod Mayo was fired after just one year on the job, Kraft addressed the quick coaching change Monday, calling the move “one of the more difficult things I've had to make in my life.” is.
“This entire situation is my fault,” Kraft, 83, said in his opening remarks to the media. “I feel terrible for Jerod because we put him in an untenable situation. I know he has all the tools to be successful in this league as a head coach, but I think he needs a little more time before he takes over.” I just needed it. At the end of the day, I'm a fan of this team first and now I have to go find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and hopefully get us to a championship.”
Mayo, who was named Bill Belichick's successor a year ago, was fired Sunday after the Patriots beat the Bills 23-16 in the regular-season finale.
The 38-year-old former Patriots linebacker compiled a 4-13 record as head coach.
Kraft added on Monday that the situation has been “back and forth” over the last month.
“I think the most important thing for me was that we felt like we were going backwards,” Kraft said. The Patriots' team entered Sunday with a six-game losing streak.
“…I don't like losing the way we lost,” he later added. “Things weren't developing the way we had hoped, so it was time to move on.”
When the team informed Mayo that it wanted to go in a different direction, Kraft said, “Being a gentleman, I accepted it as such.”
“This was one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life because I had so much love for him. I believe in him and I hope he has more experience. I truly believe that we will continue to succeed.'' Kraft shared.
Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2015. He began his coaching career in New England four years later, coaching inside linebackers from 2019 to 2023 before being promoted to the top job.
The Patriots currently have one of five head coaching vacancies.
The Jets, Bears and Saints fired coaches midway through the season, and the Jaguars fired Doug Pederson for three years on Monday morning.
New England has one of the most interesting openings with a promising young quarterback in Drake Maye. Approximately $131 million in cap space He became a free agent and was selected as the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
