Rob Gronkowski seemed upset with how he was doing New England Patriots led Jerod Mayo’s first season as head coach, which ended with his firing Sunday after a win over the Buffalo Bills.
mayonnaise was engaged to replace Bill Belichick last year after the legendary head coach and organization parted ways after six Super Bowls and two dynastic eras.
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New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo looks at the scoreboard during the Buffalo Bills game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on December 22, 2024. (Mark Konezny-Imagn Images)
The Patriots struggled in Mayo’s first season, finishing 4-13. But Gronkowski expressed that he doesn’t believe Mayo has had enough time to develop as a head coach.
“I was shocked by it. And that it happened so soon was a shock to a lot of people,” he said on FOX. “Especially here at the table, I think we were all surprised by that. I think it was unfair to coach Jerod Mayo. He never had a chance to develop as a head coach.
“He was just a rookie in that department himself. If you judge a coach by his first year, that’s really not appropriate.”
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Rob Gronkowski at Fox Sports Media Day at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona on February 7, 2023. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)
Mayo and Gronkowski were teammates for several years with the Patriots.
The Patriots were far from a playoff contender entering the season. New England drafted rookie guard Drake Maye in the first round and only started it a few weeks into the regular season.
New England was 30th in points scored and 31st in receiving yards, while finishing 22nd in points and yards allowed.
Patriots team owner Robert Kraft announced Mayo’s decision after the Patriots’ win.
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New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo shakes hands with Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
“After the game, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, it was one of the most difficult decisions I have made,” Kraft said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances during the season did not follow the upward trajectory that I had hoped.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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