Noteworthy former New England Patriots players such as Rob Gronkowski and Logan Ryan publicly criticized team owner Robert Kraft for firing head coach Jerod Mayo after a single season before Kraft hired one-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Award winner and Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel as Mayo’s replacement.
Retired nose tackle Vince Wilfork played alongside both Mayo and Vrabel in New England. During a recent chat with Ryan Morik of Fox News Digital, Wilfork echoed takes previously voiced by Gronkowski and Ryan.
“I think it was BS to pull that,” Wilfork said about Kraft’s decision. “And knowing Jerod personally, I know the conversations. I know what it is. It’s just hard to fathom, but that’s the business when you deal with certain people. I think it was unfair.”
Ryan and others previously noted New England’s roster lacked the type of talent needed to routinely compete with even average opponents going back to this past September.
Wilfork mentioned that Mayo essentially coached “the same s— roster” that living legend Bill Belichick had when the 2023 Patriots finished with a record of 4-13. Mayo also went 4-13 before he was shown the door.
“It has nothing to do with Vrabel as a coach or person,” Wilfork said about his strong feelings regarding this subject. “I think he’s phenomenal. He’s the best coach I would have got. I just think it was unfair for Mayo to go through what he went through.”
Belichick reportedly failed to mentor Mayo during the 2023 season as Kraft intended when he set up a succession plan for the organization. Additionally, it sounds like Vrabel may have known he was going to replace Mayo even before Week 18 of this past regular season concluded.
“I just think it’s unfair what Mayo had to go through,” Wilfork continued. “He didn’t have a chance. It was bullcrap from the get-go, and it’s a lot of backstabbing going on. … We’ll see what happens. It’s all part of the game, I guess, but it’s unfair however you slice it. He never had a chance.”
If nothing else, Kraft may eventually find himself having some awkward conversations with franchise legends about Mayo’s short-lived tenure. Of course, such individuals may quickly forgive Kraft if Vrabel turns the Patriots back into a winning team as soon as this coming fall.
