It was clear to most during the Patriots' 2024 season that many changes were needed in the following offseason, starting with the coaching staff. Although it was difficult to conclude that Jerod Mayo wasn't the right guy for the job at the time, too many instances proved he wasn't ready for what the team needed in the post-Bill Belichick era.
Depending on who you ask, that was apparent at various points in the season, with some even suggesting it before the regular season began. But Robert Kraft waited until after the Week 18 game to decide to let go of who he felt was the proper successor to the greatest coach of all time, putting New England in another unfamiliar situation going into the 2025 offseason.
It ultimately led to who fans wanted for the job all along: Mike Vrabel, and that decision has already proven to have been the right one. But in the year since Mayo was fired, we haven't heard much from Kraft about why he gave up on the former linebacker after just one year, until now.
Robert Kraft doesn't mince words about firing Jerod Mayo after just one season as the Patriots' head coach
The Patriots' owner recently appeared on David Andrews and Brian Hoyer's podcast "The Quick Snap" and candidly spoke about the situation for the first time.
He owns up to the mistake he made, which fans wished he had realized sooner, and takes the blame for what inevitably happened in 2024, revealing the details behind letting go of a well-respected coach on the team for many years.
#Patriots Owner Robert Kraft on the decision to fire Jerod Mayo:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) January 14, 2026
“I would say that was one of the one or two hardest decisions… It was very expensive… It’s the worst financial implication since we’ve owned the team. But, I’m a fan first… That’s on me.”
(🎥 @quicksnappod) pic.twitter.com/ROIDRP7dWD
This seemed a little more business-first than what we typically hear from Kraft, who only briefly touched on his feelings about Mayo and spoke primarily about the financial aspects of letting him go.
But as he said, he is a fan first, and he realized early on that the team wasn't going to thrive under that staff, so he moved to bring in Vrabel, who has quickly turned the team around.
The Patriots are now set to host the Texans in the Divisional round on Sunday, a far cry from where they have been at this point over the last three years. That right there tells you Kraft made the right decision, even if it was tough financially and emotionally.