Rob Gronkowski: It Was 'Unfair' for Jerod Mayo to Be Fired by Patriots After 1 Season

Rob Gronkowski believes the New England Patriots made an "unfair" decision by firing Jerod Mayo on Sunday.

The Patriots announced Mayo's dismissal just one hour after a Week 18 win over the Buffalo Bills, which dropped the team from No. 1 to No. 4 in the upcoming draft.

"I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo," Gronkowski said Sunday in an NFL on Fox panel. "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."

Mayo led the Patriots to a 4-13 finish after taking over for longtime head coach Bill Belichick ahead of the 2024 season.

Gronkowski pointed out fellow panelist and former NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson as an example of a successful leader who struggled during their first pro season.

Johnson led the 1989 Dallas Cowboys to a 1-15 record during his first season coaching in the league. He went on to coach the Cowboys to back-to-back championships in 1992 and 1993.

The Patriots didn't give Mayo the same leeway after Joe Milton III's stellar 241-yard outing against the Bills' backups led to the franchise missing out on drafting first for the first time since 1993.

New England also struggled on defense in Mayo's first season at the helm, a disappointment for a team led by a former linebackers coach.

Patriots CEO Robert Kraft said in a Sunday afternoon statement that the decision to fire Mayo was made because "the trajectory of our team's performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped."

Kraft went on to express his belief that Mayo could still succeed as head coach with another team.

The Patriots are reportedly considering hiring former Tennessee Titans leader Mike Vrabel as their next head coach, according to The Athletic's Chad Graff and RJ Kraft.

The Athletic's Jeff Howe added that Vrabel "has been interested in the Patriots' potential vacancy in recent weeks."

The franchise is meanwhile expected to give de facto general manager Eliot Wolf another shot at building a contender, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.