ESPN’s Stephen A Smith on Patriots firing Jerod Mayo: ‘They call it Black Monday for a reason’
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith reacted to New England Patriots’ the decision to fire Jerod Mayo after only one season in charge.
Smith lamented on “First Take” that Mayo was not given enough opportunities to develop as a head coach and lead the team. He said availability of Mike Vrabel the coaching market also played a factor.
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New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo during the Arizona Cardinals game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on December 15, 2024. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
“It’s about Mike Vrabel. That’s what they wanted. There’s no question about it,” Smith said. “He’s a more experienced and more experienced coach. I don’t like this. They call him Black Monday for a reason. This definitely typifies him. I don’t know why he’s not called White Monday. Doug Pederson got fired in Jacksonville. He deserved to be fired.
“Jerod Mayo obviously didn’t get a long enough shot given what Bill Belichick left him with from a talent perspective, from a record perspective, from the way the team operated.”
Smith added that he believes the Patriots’ top line “turned” against Mayo during the season.
“He didn’t help himself with some of the comments he made calling the team soft … But regardless of what we can point out, at the end of the day the people of New England have turned against Jerod Mayo. We all know that,” he said.
“And I think that has something to do with the fact that Vrabel is available and that’s what’s really going on here. They don’t want to lose him to a team like the New York Jets. They want to be in the running and they can’t do that with him as the head coach .”
The Patriots went 4-13 in Mayo’s only season.
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)
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New England team owner Robert Kraft made the announcement after New England lost Buffalo Bills in the last game of the season.
“After today’s game, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Kraft said.
“I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career because of his play on the field, his leadership in the locker room and the way he conducted himself in our community. When he joined our coaching staff he was even more proof , because I saw how the players reacted to him, when other teams started asking to interview him, I was afraid of losing him committed to being our next head coach.”
Kraft said the move came because he feels the fans deserve a better product on the field moving forward.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft during warmups before the Dolphins game at Hard Rock Stadium on January 9, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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“Since I bought the team, I have always considered myself and my family to be guardians of the public good. We have tremendous fans who expect and deserve a better product than what we have delivered in recent years,” Kraft said in a statement. “I apologize for that. I have thought long and hard about what actions I can take to accelerate our return to championship contention and have decided that this move is the best option at this time.”
Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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