Jerod Mayo Had To Go, But Patriots Clearly Shaken Up Over Firing
FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots didn’t have much of a choice when it came to firing Jerod Mayo.
New England was headed in the opposite direction intended, with an untenable culture, poor communication skills and a borderline-unwatchable product proving to be representative of his tenure. Mayo wasn’t cut out for the position, and ultimately lost it after just one season.
It’s not like he didn’t have support in the locker room, however.
“I love Jerod. I loved playing for him,” Christian Gonzalez said on Monday. “I don’t have no — none of us have no say on that. I mean, (ownership) made a decision and we gotta just cherish the moments we had with him, hope the best for him and move on as an organization.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft made the semi-surprising announcement just minutes following an unfortunate victory against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Mayo was out relatively soon thereafter, and never got a chance to close the door with his players, which was shared as they cleaned out their lockers to conclude an adverse season.
“I wish we all could have said goodbye,” Deatrich Wise Jr. said. “I didn’t get a chance to really see him. It happened so fast.”
Mayo’s supporters likely understand things had to end for the organization to move forward, as their love for him primarily stems from personal relationships. Patriots defensive lineman Davon Godchaux provided insight into just how close the 38-year-old was to his players.
“Jerod is a great person, a great leader, a guy you can talk to on and off the field,” Godchaux said. “It’s tough when somebody gets axed, but I’m not in control and nobody in this locker room is in control. It’s tough.
“… It runs deeper than just going out there and putting a helmet on to play football for him. It’s a good connection that we have, that we have grown. My wife got to know his wife. My kids got to know his kids. It’s a deeper connection, but this is the NFL. It’s a tough business and things like this happen. It’s crazy, but it’s true.”
Kraft even touted his admiration for the now-former head coach during his press conference on Monday.
Mayo just didn’t have what it takes to lead a franchise — at least not this early in his coaching career. The Patriots have every right to feel emotional regarding the decision, but at the end of the day, it was the right one.