Jerod Mayo Reportedly 'Felt Wronged' Being Fired as Patriots HC After 1 Season

Jerod Mayo "felt wronged" by the New England Patriots' decision to dismiss him after one season and a 4-13 record as head coach, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

"I think Jerod Mayo’s keeping a low profile has been intentional since he was fired in January.  I have heard he felt wronged, and I can understand why," Breer wrote in a Wednesday mailbag. "I also can see how that would play into any sort of decision to avoid being in the public eye."

Patriots owner Robert Kraft dismissed Mayo in January, just less than one year after he was hired after years of reports he was being considered as Bill Belichick's successor.

Breer's report about Mayo's current status comes the day after the Patriots released a video in which incoming third-year defensive end Keion White criticized the coaching he received in 2024.

Speaking about new outside linebackers coach Mike Smith, who joined the team alongside new head coach Mike Vrabel, White said, "He's doing a good job of saying, ‘This is what you need to think of,’ ‘This is your thought process.’ And that’s something I don’t think I had before, and what I was missing."

When asked about his past coaching experience, White answered, "I was training myself, I’m not going to lie. Now, I feel like I have a coach."

Patriots CEO Robert Kraft said when announcing Mayo's dismissal that he was seeking "actions I can take to expedite our return to championship contention."

Kraft also expressed confidence that Mayo would eventually succeed as an NFL head coach, although Doug Kyed and Andrew Callahan reported in March for the Boston Herald that "multiple sources doubt that Mayo will return to coaching."

Mayo, who turned 39 in February, played for the Patriots from 2008 to 2015. He then worked as a member of the Patriots coaching staff from 2019 until his January dismissal.