The New England Patriots dropping Jerod Mayo just a year after he took over for Bill Belichick took everyone by surprise. Even with names like Mike Vrabel and Deion Sanders doing the rounds in the rumor mill as their next head coach, fans were left understandably upset. To put it simply, Mayo was given the short end of the stick.
He had a depleted roster and a rookie quarterback, and he was supposed to help the team rebuild. Instead, after a single season, he was let go and the disappointment was palpable. Even former Patriots legends like Rob Gronkowski did not agree with the decision. However, before he could unleash his frustration, something perplexing, whether intentional or not, happened.
Rob Gronkowski’s Rant on Jerod Mayo Is Cut Short
During the Fox halftime show, Gronkowski was on the panel discussing news from around the league. When the topic came to his beloved Patriots and their decision regarding Mayo, his disappointment was immediate and undeniable.
“I was shocked by that and to happen that soon, was a shocker to a lot of people, especially here at the desk. We were all surprised.” To him, Mayo wasn’t given a fair shot to prove himself. Considering the situation that he came into, just one year wasn’t enough to put the jury out on the first-time head coach.
he 100% was https://t.co/NflqSy0WsH pic.twitter.com/0dRsduqmKf
— mm (@muhtacinm) January 5, 2025
“I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo. I mean he had never had the chance to develop as a head coach, he was just a rookie himself in that department. And if you judge a coach by their first year, that’s really not appropriate.”
To further prove his point, he had the perfect evidence sitting next to him in Jimmy Johnson. “I mean, Jimmy Johnson, you went 1-15 in your first year. And then you won a couple of Super Bowls after that.”
Unfortunately, before he could continue on his rant, the show was sent to break. The timing felt odd considering Gronk was about to continue. But that doesn’t take away from the points he was making.
A terrible offensive line, which allowed the second-highest pressure rate this season, paved the way for their offensive struggles. According to PFN’s Offense+ metric, the Patriots were the 28th-ranked offense in the league, thanks to the fourth-worst third-down conversion rate and third-worst red-zone efficiency.
However, even with those limitations, Mayo was critical in developing Drake Maye through his rookie year, who now looks like a genuine franchise cornerstone. He finished 20th on PFN’s QB+ metric, the second-highest mark among all rookie quarterbacks.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Mayo as a head coach in the league. However, New England could already have its eyes set on names like Brian Flores, Mike Vrabel, and Deion Sanders for their head-coaching vacancy.
Gronkowski too believes that his plan may come to fruition. “Obviously Mr. Kraft didn’t see Jerod Mayo being that culture builder that he was hoping to be over the last season, and obviously Mr. Kraft has a plan as well going forward.”
But if Patriots legends like Gronkowski aren’t in agreement with Kraft on the decision, the fan base’s opinion might be clear to them. After all, Gronk is a living legend in New England, responsible for three Super Bowls with the squad.
The majority of his Hall of Fame-worthy career, barring a two-year stint in Tampa Bay, was spent with the Patriots, where he earned every honor under the sun. So, if even he can’t digest the decision, it might not take long for fans to turn on Kraft, too.