How Reactions From Patriots Fans Played Part In Jerod Mayo Firing
The New England Patriots pulled the plug on head coach Jerod Mayo.
It was a decision contemplated over yet another last-place finish (4-13) in the AFC East, dismissing Mayo after just a year on the job. New England showed little to no improvement after opening up the season with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals and concluding it with Mayo out of a job and a fanbase left distraught.
Team owner Robert Kraft admitted the reception from Foxboro’s faithful was heard loud and clear and understood.
“Well, I’m the biggest fan, so I understand,” Kraft told reporters during Monday’s press conference, per team-provided video. “Since the day we bought this team, I realized what a privilege it was and how lucky we were as a family, that this is the only business we’re involved in where I see ourselves. We don’t own this team. It’s owned by the fans of this region. We’re custodians of a very special asset of the community. That helps me try to make decisions that, if it was just personal, it would be different.”
Mayo’s departure, while warranted, doesn’t solve New England’s coaching dilemma yet. Kraft and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf are back to where the franchise started last offseason — in search of a head coach, ahead of a critical draft with the No. 4 overall pick and in need of a way to lure free agents to bolster the roster. The Patriots missed the opportunity to have Mayo, a coach experienced with the locker room, alongside for the decision-making process rather than adding another critical box to check off the agenda.
The fanbase made its feelings about Mayo crystal clear during Week 17.
As New England was getting humiliated by the Los Angeles Chargers in a 40-7 blowout, Patriots fans hurled a “Fire Mayo” chant directed at the team’s sideline leader. Mayo understood where the fans were coming from, took the calling for his job on the chin and moved forward.
From there, Mayo was left with one more week employed in New England and the only difference Week 18 made was to the team’s draft positioning. The Patriots fumbled their chance at securing the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft — because they defeated the Buffalo Bills on Sunday — and instead settled for No. 4.
Nobody from Kraft to players in the locker room wanted to see Mayo lose his job and on such an ugly note no less, but the decision was warranted.