Since Robert Kraft decided to fire Jerod Mayo almost immediately after the Patriots beat the Bills in Week 18, there has been a lot of chatter flooding the headlines suggesting how things really were behind the scenes during the rookie head coach's lone season.
Some may be exaggerated, while others could be closer to the truth. Regardless, the latest reporting gives a behind-the-scenes look at what led Kraft to make the tough decision despite admitting Mayo wasn't put into a favorable situation.
Many players have already spoken out in support of their now-former head coach, as he had established a great connection to the team during his years as a coach in Foxboro. He had long been touted as an up-and-coming star head coach, only to be given the boot after just one season and not living up to the hype.
Things didn't look so bad throughout his tenure, either, especially at the beginning. But according to the latest reporting from Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi, that wasn't exactly the case.
Jerod Mayo's head coaching career was never going to be successful in New England
Among the slew of reports being discussed in the days since Mayo was let go is Giardi's take on the entire situation. More interestingly, he cites sources he spoke to, some of whom are Patriots players, who provided a better look behind the curtain at Gillette Stadium than what was typically seen, and it's far worse than imagined.
That's when he revealed a veteran spoke about some concerns with Mayo's coaching almost immediately, describing questionable tactics of the new regime that didn't sit well with some players.
"One vet told me, 'I lost faith we were headed in the right direction." When? "In the spring." Why? "Felt like he - they - were making it up as they went along. It was amazing how one day it would be this and then the next, something completely different.'"
Considering how much lighter the locker room felt compared to how things were under Bill Belichick, especially with the significant changes made to the stadium, it seemed like the players were on board with the vision Mayo had for the team's future. Hearing that many were feeling the exact opposite is beyond shocking, especially given how supportive most appeared of Mayo's coaching career.
Making matters worse, another player Giardi spoke to shared a shift in mindset as things progressed, and Mayo's vision wasn't aligning with theirs, creating more concerns about the coaching staff early on.
"Another added, 'It became more about looking myself in the mirror and the guys in my room and huddle and saying 'I'm leaving it out here for you.' Because I never believed we had an edge (in coaching).'"
This paints a far more chaotic scene than almost anyone could have guessed and is likely a contributing factor to Kraft's decision to let Mayo go. The owner admitted his guilt in promoting him too quickly and not providing him with a team that would make the transition to head coach easy, and it appears there was a lot more behind the scenes that doomed his tenure from the start.
It's an unfortunate situation all around, and the only hope is that Mayo will have a thriving career in the future as a head coach if that's something he still hopes to pursue, and Kraft won't make the same mistakes again. The Patriots organization depends on it.