Patriots Rumors: Jerod Mayo Could’ve Saved Job If This Happened
The Patriots didn’t seem to hesitate when they fired Jerod Mayo soon after the team’s Week 18 win, but there might have been a chance for the 38-year-old to save his job.
Robert Kraft admitted it was a tough decision to fire Mayo, who he hand-picked to be Bill Belichick’s successor. The New England owner took full responsibility for putting the former first-year head coach in a tough position and regretted how things played out.
There was sentiment in the final month of the season that Kraft would give Mayo another chance after presumably building a better roster. That could have come if the results were better.
“A source familiar with Kraft’s thinking believes had the Patriots flipped one of their December blowout losses to Arizona and later the Chargers, Mayo might have kept his job,” the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed wrote Thursday.
The Chargers loss was the tipping point for fans as they chanted, “Fire Mayo.” However, the Cardinals loss also was a bad look for the Patriots since that came after their bye week. It was a matchup that featured Jonathan Kraft getting caught on camera criticizing the offense. That might of been the beginning of ownership questioning if things would improve under Mayo.
Thursday’s report confirmed others from last month suggesting Mayo was coaching for his job if things didn’t improve to close the season. A close loss to the Bills and a win over Buffalo weren’t enough for the Krafts, and they’re on the search for another head coach to right the ship.