Bill Belichick Reacts To The Patriots Firing His Successor, Jerod Mayo
01/06/2025 03:45 PM
This weekend saw the New England Patriots move on from head coach Jerod Mayo after a 4-13 mark in his first stint on the headset.
The former Patriots linebacker and longtime assistant was hand-selected to succeed ex-coach Bill Belichick after years of service on the defensive side of the ball.
During Monday's appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show," Belichick was asked about the Mayo situation. And the newly minted Tar Heels HC didn't seem overly concerned with Robert Kraft's decision to let his guy go.
"The Patriots situation. I mean, honestly, I don't have too much of a comment on that," Belichick said. "You know, Robert Kraft, Jonathan Kraft, Robyn Glaser, you know, they're the decision-makers there, who exactly does what and so forth."
"Mayo was hand-picked by Robert. But in the end, the decision-making is something that they'd have to comment on and identify, but you know, they're the ones that are really, you know, making the calls there. They're the ones that should comment on that I really don't know from the outside looking in. They haven't called me and asked."
Mr. Kraft dropped a lengthy statement on Mayo's firing following New England's Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills. He even called it "one of the hardest decisions I have ever made."
After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. 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.
When he joined our coaching staff, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. 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.
The Patriots hold the No. 4 pick in April's draft. Many expect that they'll either trade down for more picks or shore up the offensive line with a top LT.
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