Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Opens Up About Firing Jerod Mayo

The Patriots completed a remarkable turnaround this season, rebounding from consecutive 4–13 campaigns to finish 14–3, win the AFC East for the first time since 2019, and secure their first playoff victory since Super Bowl LIII. Their 16–3 Wild Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers set up a Divisional Round matchup with the Houston Texans, signaling that the franchise has quickly returned to contender status.

Team owner Robert Kraft credited head coach Mike Vrabel as a central figure in the revival, while also reflecting candidly on the difficult decision to fire Jerod Mayo after just one season. Speaking on NBC's The Quick Snap podcast with former Patriots Brian Hoyer and David Andrews, Kraft described Mayo’s dismissal as one of the hardest choices he has made, both emotionally and financially. Despite initially being fully committed to Mayo and bypassing a coaching search, Kraft felt the situation after the 4–13 season had become untenable and required swift, decisive change.

"I'm very fond of Jerod, and I would say that was one of the one or two hardest decisions (I've had to make), because to fire a guy after one year -- and by the way, it was very expensive, because there (was) not only his contract, but 25 other coaches. It's the worst financial implications since we've owned the team."

Kraft said his priority as a fan and steward of the franchise was to halt further decline and restore competitiveness. He believed hiring Vrabel offered the fastest path forward, a belief that has so far been validated. Vrabel overhauled the coaching staff, collaborated with Eliot Wolf to upgrade the roster, and benefited from stellar play by quarterback Drake Maye, now emerging as an MVP candidate. Kraft noted the energized atmosphere at Gillette Stadium during the playoff win as a powerful sign that the Patriots’ identity, and their connection with fans, has been restored.

"I'm a fan first, and I thought, 'I can't -- this just isn't the right situation,' and that's on me," Kraft added. "Jerod's a great guy, but I just didn't want to go through a continuation of what happened."

"The one thing that I and my family understand is that we own this team, but it's not like a traditional business. I look at our family as custodians of a public asset.

"And I really believed that hiring Mike gave us a chance, quickly, to put the team where it was to go from 4-13 to now 15-3."

"Hearing the fans last Sunday night, it brought back to me the early days when we started doing well and the vibe in the stadium," Kraft told Andrews and Hoyer. "And I don't know if you guys could sense it or feel it the way I did Sunday night, but the crowd was a real asset to the team.

"But also the feelings -- and I think part of it is what's happened to the franchise the last three, four years, compared to the two decades previous. So, it's pretty cool to be back."