The Patriots just fired their Head Coach, Jerod Mayo, within 90 minutes of the finale of the last game of the season. This article will discuss the firings, including those of their offensive coordinator, and what the Patriots may do next.
The Patriots just wrapped up their season with a disappointing record of 4-13. The roster was not good, finishing 22nd in the league on defense and 31st on offense. The defense may have been one of the most disappointing parts of the season, as it significantly regressed from being a top-10 defense just a year ago under the now-fired Head Coach Bill Belichick.
Mayo was the Patriots’ linebackers coach before taking the head coaching position. He was supposed to bring defensive expertise to the organization, but instead, the defense got significantly worse. Mayo constantly told reporters in press conferences that their team was “too soft.”
Doug Kyed, a Patriots insider, tweeted, “Team sources have described a poor culture with a lack of leadership that can make demanding and decisive decisions.” The team was also very undisciplined, committing 6.5 penalties per game, up from 5.2 the year before under Coach Belichick.
The team needed to make sweeping changes to improve, and one of the first steps was firing their coach. The move itself was not surprising. In a segment on ESPN called “Safe or Out,” NFL insider Adam Shefter predicts which coaches will stay and which will be fired. He predicted that the Patriots would, without a doubt, fire their head coach.
In one of the season’s final games, “Fire Mayo” chants could be heard when the team lost 40-7 against the Chargers. What surprised many about this move was the timeliness. No coach firings have been announced within the first 90 minutes of the game ending.
Mayo was not the only one who lost their job following the game against the Bills. The offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt, was also fired after the game. Over the last 4 seasons, the Patriots have had a revolving door of offensive coordinators. From Josh McDaniels in 2022 to Matt Patricia in 2023, then Bill O’Brien in 2024 and finally Alex Van Pelt in 2025, the Patriots have struggled mightily to find the right guy for the job.
This was one of the biggest causes of Mac Jones’s fall. Adjusting to a new offensive game plan every year can put tremendous strain on a quarterback’s success in the NFL.
Despite the overall agreement over firing Mayo, Patriots fans seem to be split on firing Pelt. People in defense of Pelt’s firing see this as a win, as the offense had some horrendous games, including penalties that lost the Patriots a lot of games.
However, there are many people who disagree with the argument. People opposed to firing Pelt reason their argument by bringing up the improvement in the Patriots’ offense from last season. According to Pro Football Reference, under Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien, the Patriots averaged 13.9 points per game in the 2023-2024 season. The offense improved last season, averaging 17 points per game in 2024-2025.
The Patriots hired new Head Coach Mike Vrabel on Sunday, January 12th, 2025. This new era for New England could help the team rebuild and regain championship contention.
Overall, the Jerod Mayo era in New England was unsuccessful, and it will go down as yet another personnel hire that hasn’t worked out. The Patriots will look to next season to see if we have our coach for the next decade or if this will be the same story next year.
