Patriots Fire Head Coach Jerod Mayo After One Season

The New England Patriots won their final game of the 2024 season on Sunday, beating the Buffalo Bills, 23-16. It wasn't enough for rookie head coach Jerod Mayo to earn another year at the helm.

Shortly after the Pats took down the Bills, and lost out on the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft in the process, multiple reports emerged that New England planned to fire Mayo. He finishes his first and only season at the helm with a 4-13 record.

The #Patriots are moving on from coach Jerod Mayo, as the handpicked successor to Bill Belichick goes one-and-done, per me, @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero.

The Krafts anointed Mayo last year, but a troubling season led them to a change. pic.twitter.com/TWeo2JXNK9
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2025

Mayo was selected by team owner Robert Kraft to be the heir apparent to Bill Belichick's throne. But after a frustrating year filled with embarrassing losses it seems ownership was more than ready to cut ties, even if Mayo wasn't working with much talent on the roster.

Kraft released a statement once the news broke thanking Mayo for his tenure and calling the decision to fire him one of the hardest he's had to make.

Statement from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft: https://t.co/2YgHtzzBHK pic.twitter.com/GMXGgd768x
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 5, 2025

New England will now be one of the top coaching jobs available with Drake Maye on the roster and the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. It seems likely the franchise will heavily pursue Mike Vrabel, the top free agent coach on the market who starred for the Patriots in the 2000s and was recently inducted into the team's hall of fame.