The Patriots have made it official, releasing a statement confirming that Jerod Mayo was fired after Sunday’s win over the Bills.
New England finished Mayo’s only season as head coach 4-13.
“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,” team owner Robert Kraft said in a statement. “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.
“Since buying the team, I have always considered myself and my family as custodians of a public asset. We have tremendous fans who expect and deserve a better product than we have delivered in recent years. I apologize for that. I have given much thought and consideration as to what actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention and determined this move was the best option at this time.
“I am grateful for Jerod’s many contributions to the New England Patriots throughout his career and will always be rooting for his success. I appreciate all his hard work and hope the experiences gained will help him in the future, as I still believe he will be a successful head coach in this league. I wish Jerod and his family nothing but success in the future.”
Kraft had selected Mayo to be the successor to former head coach Bill Belichick well before last January, writing it into Mayo’s contract.
The Patriots started the season with a win over Cincinnati before losing six in a row. The club won two of three games between Week 8 and Week 10 but lost six more before the final game of the season.
Kraft and the Patriots will now embark on a full search to find the team’s next head coach.
