Patriots Star Breaks Silence On Jerod Mayo S Firing

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 3:58 PM

patriots star breaks silence on jerod mayo s firing

The New England Patriots wasted no time heading into this offseason in enacting their major coaching staff changes. No more than two hours after the Patriots final game finished, Robert Kraft and the team released their statement revealing the decision to fire Jerod Mayo after one season after being hand-picked as Bill... Then, in the weeks following, New England was the first NFL team to sign their next head coach in the hiring cycle, bringing in Mike Vrabel to be the next guy for the job. The process raised a few questions among NFL circles. Pivoting off of a young, first-time head coach following one year on the job is something you don't see often around the league, and it was even a decision that wasn't viewed too highly... Christian Gonzalez recently spoke about the Patriots' coaching changes on the Frat Rules Podcast, noting that he feels his now-former head coach got done "a little dirty."

Although the Jerod Mayo era in New England feels like it's been over for a long time, it was only a little less than two months ago that Patriots owner Robert Kraft abruptly decided... It was not an entirely unexpected move, given how poorly the team performed during the 2024 season, but the timing of the dismissal became more of the talking point in the weeks since. Not only that, but Kraft decided not to see his hiring through more than one year, which is generally what owners will allow new head coaches since their first years are generally not the... Many believed that would be the case with Mayo because Kraft handpicked him as Bill Belichick's successor. However, Kraft made it clear that his patience was wearing thin, hence the quick move to fire Mayo, which didn't sit right with many Patriots players, some of whom are still sharing their feelings... We might be full steam ahead into the Mike Vrabel era in Foxboro, a hire that most Patriots fans seem to agree was a good move, but that doesn't mean Patriots players aren't still...

That includes Mayo's firing, which cornerback Christian Gonzalez commented on recently during an appearance on the "Frat Rules Podcast" last week. The New England Patriots are quickly entering another new era football after just one year with Jerod Mayo. It's been a disappointing few years for the organization following two decades of dominance, though most are encouraged by the outlook with Mike Vrabel calling the shots. While the roster has significant holes and ranks among the league's worst overall, it does feature two exciting stars in quarterback Drake Maye and All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez. That duo forms the foundation of the future, and now the front office's job is to surround them with talent. However, alignment between the players and the organization is crucial as well.

Based on recent comments from Gonzalez, it sounds like he wasn't supportive of Mayo's firing after only one campaign. Christian Gonzalez on the #Patriots’ coaching changes:“I did [like Jerod Mayo as a coach]. I did. I think they did him a little dirty giving him only one year. But, it’s business… We gon’ see what [Mike Vrabel] do… They damn near cleaned house.”(🎥 Frat Rules Podcast) pic.twitter.com/2SwkxBBVFx Appearing on the "Frat Rules Podcast", Gonzalez was asked if he liked Mayo as a coach.

Patriots players went to bat for Jerod Mayo mere minutes before he was fired — a sign that many in New England’s locker room expected the ex-linebacker to return for the 2025 season. However, not all Patriots players were surprised when Mayo was shown the door after the team’s season finale. Veteran defensive back Jonathan Jones, who’s played in New England since 2016, recently appeared on the “Pats Interference Football Podcast” and shed light on how his teammates received Mayo’s firing. “Everybody kind of views it their own way,” Jones told the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, as transcribed by USA Today. “And so you have a little bit of people who are shocked, some of them say, ‘Hey, I kind of expected that,’ you know? Just a little bit of everything in between.”

The writing certainly was on the wall for Mayo, whose slew of self-inflicted wounds made the Patriots’ nightmarish season all the more challenging. But there also was reason to believe Mayo would survive the offseason, as Robert Kraft had been dead-set on Mayo as Bill Belichick’s successor for years. The Patriots fired their rookie head coach after a disappointing 2024 season. The winds of change are blowing through the New England Patriots organization, and the mood in the Gillette Stadium locker room on Monday reflected that. One day after the firing of head coach Jerod Mayo was announced, players were in for a final team meeting — run by the front office staff — and for clearing out their lockers. Along the way, multiple Patriots were available to talk to the media.

Needless to say, the biggest topic on everybody’s mind was the firing of the team’s head coach less than 24 hours before. “It’s a hard day,” said center David Andrews. “It’s part of our business, and obviously no matter what it’s always hard at the end of the year. You know it’s not going to be the same. Obviously, there’s a lot to figure out and we’ll move on to ‘25. That’s all we can do.”

The team captain, who missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, also expressed his gratitude toward his now-former head coach. While current members of the New England Patriots understandably are excited to have Mike Vrabel as their new head coach, multiple former Patriots players have publicly criticized team owner Robert Kraft for firing former... During the latest edition of NBC Sports Boston's "The Next Pats Podcast," Patriots cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and Christian Gonzalez addressed Mayo losing his job after New England ended the 2024 campaign with a record... "I just think it’s tough," Jones explained, as shared by Chris Mason of MassLive. "It’s a cutthroat business, but it’s a results business. The results that we put out there this season as a team, as a unit, it wasn’t good enough.

Unfortunately, when you’re the leader, you’re the head coach, everything kinda always falls back on you. It was just a tough one." Mayo couldn't help that the Patriots entered September with arguably the league's worst overall roster after the club traded star pass-rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons. With that said, Mayo also didn't do himself any favors by sticking his foot in his mouth multiple times throughout the season. Specifically, Mayo referred to his team as "soft" following its Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. After New England fell to the Miami Dolphins in Week 12, Mayo mentioned that "there’s nothing" he could do for his players "once those guys cross the white lines."

Send this article to your social connections. Send this article to your social connections. The Patriots didn’t wait all that to move on from Jerod Mayo — firing the first-year head coach just over an hour after the team’s 2024 regular season came to an end. While the writing was seemingly on the wall that the Patriots were prepared for a drastic change after a disastrous 2024 season, Mayo’s short shelf life in Foxborough — coupled with flaws in the... Here’s a summary of some of the top reactions following Mayo’s ousting after just one year on the job. Many would’ve thought former Patriots great Vince Wilfork was in a predicament when the team fired first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and replaced him with Mike Vrabel this week.

Wilfork, who has a close relationship with both coaches, won two Super Bowl titles with Vrabel and one with Mayo during his 11 seasons in New England. All three were Patriots teammates during the 2008 season. In an interview with The Post, Wilfork said he’s waiting to reach out to Mayo, whose situation was “heartbreaking” because it was handled unfairly by Patriots owner Robert Kraft. “I’m giving [Mayo] time because it’s heartbreaking and I understand that,” Wilfork, 43, said Tuesday during an event with Tums and DraftKings in New York. “His roots are in Boston, his family, his friendships — it’s all there. So I know it’s pretty tough for him right now, trying to figure out what is he going to do next.

A win in Sunday's regular season finale brought more questions, uncertainties and frustrations than any loss the New England Patriots have experienced all season. They defeated a Buffalo Bills team resting its starters for a postseason run. In doing so, the Patriots lost the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft. They also lost their head coach after owner Robert Kraft announced the decision to fire Jerod Mayo immediately after the game. There were mixed opinions on the handling of Mayo's hiring and firing.

Even those who view Mayo's firing as the right call from an organizational standpoint have still expressed disappointment over the way the team conducted business. Here are some leftover notes from the game and the current coaching situation in New England: The Patriots managed to steal a win at the end of the season, but all it did was cost them the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft. With so many holes to fill on the roster, the Patriots could have traded that pick and used the assets to rebuild.

Patriots Star Breaks Silence On Jerod Mayo S Firing

People Also Search

The New England Patriots Wasted No Time Heading Into This

Although The Jerod Mayo Era In New England Feels Like

That Includes Mayo's Firing, Which Cornerback Christian Gonzalez Commented On

Based On Recent Comments From Gonzalez, It Sounds Like He

Patriots Players Went To Bat For Jerod Mayo Mere Minutes