People in New England reportedly “disapproved” of the team’s handling of the Rooney Rule in the head coach search
The New England Patriots received significant backlash for their handling of the Rooney Rule in their ongoing search for a new head coach.
On Tuesday, the team satisfied the rule that required them to have at least two external interviews with minority candidates by interviewing Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton. Both candidates haven’t coached since 2022 and likely aren’t serious options for the Patriots’ head coaching job.
Rather than going through an extensive search, the Patriots seemingly checked off two minority candidates to expedite the process of getting to the coach they really want, who most believe to be former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
Callahan and Kyed wrote:
Multiple team sources disapproved of ownership’s clear flouting of the Rooney Rule, disrespecting the process and declining to gather intel from external coaching candidates about how their organizations operate and their visions for how the Patriots could run.
“Wild,” one said. “Just wild.”
The Patriots requested an interview with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but Glenn denied the request and instead chose to interview with other teams.
A dark cloud of drama and disappointment has continued to follow the Patriots since the fall of the dynasty. However, there’s hope that the organization can find new life with a promising young quarterback in Drake Maye and its eventual new head coach.
Robert Kraft admits he put Jerod Mayo in an “untenable situation”
Owner Robert Kraft admitted he put Jerod Mayo in an “untenable situation” as the New England Patriots head coach when addressing the media on Monday.
The comments came a day after Kraft announced his decision to fire Mayo after only one season as the Patriots head coach.
“This whole situation is on me. I feel terrible for Jerod because I put him in an untenable situation,” said Kraft. “I know that he has all of the tools as a head coach to be successful in this league. He just needed more time before taking the job. In the end, I’m a fan of this team first, and now, I have to go out and find a coach who can get us back to the playoffs and hopefully championships.”
It has been a disastrous head coaching situation for the Patriots. They parted ways with the greatest coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick, in a move to hire Mayo as the head coach last year. Now, they’re making a move to fire Mayo after their second straight 4-13 season.
Mayo was a rookie head coach taking over one of the worst rosters in the league. So he never had a chance to learn and grow in the role the way most expected he’d be able to do.
One has to wonder if Mike Vrabel being available was ultimately the reason why the team moved on from Mayo. They potentially have a shot at landing the hottest coaching candidate on the market.
Given Vrabel’s coaching experience and history with the team, it might have been an opportunity they felt like they couldn’t pass up.
Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft will reportedly run point in the search for a new Patriots head coach
The New England Patriots are reportedly not planning on hiring a search firm to conduct their head coaching interview process. Robert Kraft and Jonathan Kraft will be conducting the process themselves with others helping, per NFL insider Albert Breer on Monday.
There are multiple candidates for the Patriots’ head coaching vacancy, following the team’s decision to fire Jerod Mayo after Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills. Mike Vrabel appears to be the primary target for the team’s second head coaching search since firing Bill Belichick.
“As I’ve heard it, the Patriots aren’t planning on hiring a search firm to conduct their process,” Breer posted on X. “It’ll be Robert and Jonathan Kraft running point, with potential for a few others to be involved. They’re diving right in this week.”
Even with Vrabel as the leading candidate, many have hoped the Patriots would conduct a legitimate coaching search to improve their odds of landing the right candidate. But is it wise of them to pass on hiring a search firm?
Time will tell if this is a wise decision for a Patriots team looking to get back on the winning track.
The Patriots fired Mayo minutes after a 4-13 season ended. What went wrong, besides almost everything?
Jerod Mayo was the hand picked heir to Bill Belichick. When New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired his six-time Super Bowl winning head coach last winter, he didn’t have to go through an official job search; he’d already filed his succession plan with NFL officials.
This made sense. Seeds from Belichick’s coaching tree found almost exclusively salted ground. But former players had done well in limited reps, including Mike Vrabel and Kevin O’Connell. Mayo was both — an All-Pro who spent eight seasons in New England on the field and five as Belichick’s defensive disciple as a linebackers coach.
In the end, this endorsement failed to mean much of anything. Less than an hour after the final post-game press conference of New England’s 2024 NFL season, Mayo was fired.
“After the game today, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” wrote Kraft in an official statement. “For me, personally, this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I have known Jerod for 17 years. He earned my respect and admiration as a rookie in 2008 and throughout his career for 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, his leadership was even more evident, as I saw how the players responded to him. When other teams started requesting to interview him, I feared I would lose him and committed to making him our next head coach. Winning our season-opener on the road at Cincinnati only strengthened my convictions. Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.”
This was a harsh outcome in a harsh league. Mayo was handed the keys to one of the league’s least talented rosters and managed as many wins (four) as Belichick had in his finale. But instead of getting a chance to prove he could learn from 2024’s mistakes, he’s headed elsewhere, likely to settle into a defensive assistant role either at the pro or college level.
Was it the right call?
Mayo’s 2024 has to be graded on a steep curve. His quarterbacks were stuck playing behind a bottom-three offensive line that never gelled amidst a litany of turnover and injuries. Drake Maye shined in stretches, but his rookie mistakes were amplified by a defense that left little room for error and a run game that couldn’t carry the offense when it needed the most help.
Let’s talk about that defense. This was supposed to be Mayo’s strength. He knew Belichick’s mind on the field and in the playbook. But while the legendary coach turned chicken crap into chicken salad to wrap up 2023, Mayo was incapable of doing the same.
Here’s where the Patriots finished Belichick’s final season over the second half when it comes to expected points added (EPA) allowed:
via rbsdm.com and the author.
Even without Christian Gonzalez in the lineup, no team in the league was better at shutting down opponents. Now here’s how it looks with Gonzalez but without Matthew Judon under Mayo’s guidance.
via rbsdm.com and the author.
Anytime you’re left lording over the Panthers and Jaguars and no one else, it’s safe to say things have gone terribly wrong. But that’s where Mayo’s defense wound up. The Patriots gave up 30-plus points six times in 2024. The last time that happened was 2018, when a solid offense was enough to overcome any defensive lapses en route to the franchise’s last Super Bowl win.
Mayo’s offense was no where near that level, even with Maye slinging beautiful deep balls and escaping pressure for big gains. The scoring offense improved from 31st in 30th in the NFL. For the fifth straight season, dating back to Julian Edelman’s retirement, no New England player had more than 850 receiving yards.
There were few signs of meaningful improvement and Mayo was stuck staring down a ticking clock. The Patriots’ needed a quick turnaround to maximize the inexpensive years of Maye’s rookie contract and spark a playoff run. But they also needed to maximize the final years of team owner Robert Kraft’s presence.
Kraft is 83 years old. He cares deeply about his football legacy, if reports about his Hall of Fame lobbying are correct. He knows the kind of relevance abyss the Patriots can sink into because that’s precisely where the franchise was when he purchased it in 1994. New England had won 19 games the previous five seasons leading up to the sale.
Kraft may have been willing to be patient if he saw signs that suggested a turnaround. Instead, he was given a caged bird. He knew Maye could be the quarterback who cements his legacy and understood the system around him could ultimately prevent him from flying.
So the respected team owner made a snap decision. The signs weren’t there. Mayo made mistakes. He lacked the diplomacy of other head coaches, occasionally shifting blame to his players or coordinators even if it wasn’t his intention. He struggled with clock management and playcalling and generally looked overwhelmed. These were problems that could be fixed, but if not it threatened to taint the end of Kraft’s life with repeated, frustrating failures.
That portended doom for Mayo. Maybe he could have earned a second season with a younger owner unfamiliar with the dizzying highs the Patriots once knew on an annual basis. But that’s not Kraft. When it turned out New England couldn’t even tank right, the decision was made.
Mayo’s firing may not have been fair, but it was justified. Now the Patriots get to sell a chance to work with Maye and a good chunk of salary cap space (but not the top overall pick in this year’s draft) to 2025’s hottest coaching candidates. But whomever takes the job has to know he’s working with a short leash unless he can further Kraft’s legacy.
No one said it would be easy to follow Bill Belichick. One would have thought Jerod Mayo would have gotten more than one season.
That won’t be the case as New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wasted no time after Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills in telling his coach he was being let go after finishing 4-13
Who could be next? Mike VRabel has a deep history with Kraft and the Patriots. He would be atop or near the top of the list.
Then again, there is that buyout at North Carolina for Belichick. Nah, right?
In case you were wondering the last Patriots coach to get canned after one season Was Rod Rust. New England went 1-15 in 1990 before Rust wasd shown the door.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has reportedly been snubbed once again from a chance to be immortalized in Canton.
Per ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., despite being among the favorites to be inducted, Kraft was passed over by the committee for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
It’s a devastating blow to the 83-year-old owner and six-time Super Bowl champion.
According to Van Natta Jr., the decision was ultimately made on November 12 and will officially be revealed to the public next month.
Back in September, an ESPN report came out that Kraft questioned Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones being inducted ahead of him.
“He hasn’t been to the NFC title game in two decades and he gets in?” Kraft told a confidant, via Van Natta Jr. in the ESPN report. “How does that work?”
Now, Kraft is reportedly being passed over for names such as Ralph Hay, an NFL co-founder and former Canton Bulldogs owner. Being snubbed for a 13th time doesn’t lead to much hope that the Patriots owner will be getting in anytime soon.
Robert Kraft is getting another shot at being inducted into the Hall of Fame
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was named as a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on Wednesday. Kraft was among nine other names who made it to the semifinal round.
K.S. “Bud” Adams, Ralph Hay, Frank Kilroy, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff, Doug Williams and John Wooten were the others selected.
Kraft has long sought entry into the Hall of Fame. It was reported in September that he took issue with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones making it into the Hall of Fame, while he remained on the outs.
Now, Kraft has a chance to earn his place in history. The Patriots’ owner was previously named a Hall of Fame semifinalist last summer, but he ultimately did not get in.
This could be the chance for Kraft to finally break through into the Hall of Fame. The Patriots have enjoyed a unique run of success ever since he took ownership in 1994. He managed to help shape the landscape for a team that went on to forge the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
Robert Kraft goes deeper into the reasoning behind his decision to fire Bill Belichick
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft opened up about the firing of coach Bill Belichick during a recent appearance on “The Breakfast Club” podcast.
Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after 24 years in the organization. The coach led New England through an unprecedented run of success. He struggled in the post-Tom Brady era, however, as he made the playoffs only once in his four seasons without the legendary quarterback.
Belichick was also the de facto general manager for New England. He had a tremendous hand in building the Patriots’ dynasty from the ground up. Notable players like Devin McCourty, Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman and Dont’a Hightower were all drafted by Belichick.
Nevertheless, Kraft believed that it was time to part ways, and he expanded on that viewpoint in his sit-down interview.
“I kept him for 24 years. I didn’t enjoy having to fire him, but if you look at the press conference and how it happened, I tried to do it in a classy way,” said Kraft. “And what he did for us was great. People need to adapt and if they don’t…things can change. In life, it’s about getting good chemistry and trust. Our record the last three to four years wasn’t what I wanted.
“And I had given him so much power. He had full control over everything. And shame on me, I should’ve had some checks and balances better. But he had earned that right. But then the results weren’t there and if you’re in the sports business, you win or you lose. There’s no gray. And I hate losing.”
The firing of Belichick was a monumental time for the Patriots organization, as it officially represented a new direction for the team. Now, the Patriots are officially in rebuilding mode with Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf leading the charge.
Robert Kraft said Jabrill Peppers is “gone” if reported domestic violence accusations are true
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has a zero tolerance for domestic violence.
When appearing on “The Breakfast Club” on Friday, he said safety Jabrill Peppers would be “gone” if the allegations in his reported legal drama are true.
Per NBC10 Boston, the Patriots’ defensive captain was arrested last Saturday on multiple charges, including “assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and possession of cocaine.” He is currently on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, which means he can’t practice or attend games.
“Once he goes on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, they do their independent checking,” said Kraft. “We’re doing ours. If what was reported is true, he’s gone. There have been some suggestions that this was a setup, and a lot of what’s reported is not accurate.
“The easiest thing would have been to cut him right away, but we’re trying to measure nine times and do right by him. If the facts are as been reported publicly, then he’s not with us.”
Peppers’ attorney claimed there was video evidence, along with “other evidence,” that would fully exonerate Peppers in the case.
“I’ll repeat that we have evidence that completely contradicts the alleged victim’s story, and I expect my client to be fully exonerated,” Peppers’ attorney said.
Peppers’ spot with the Patriots could ultimately depend on that evidence.
Robert Kraft questioned Jerry Jones’ HOF induction
Robert Kraft and supporters have twisted their brains like pretzels trying to figure out why the New England Patriots owner still hasn’t been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
It was even more confusing seeing Kraft’s longtime archrival, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, get inducted in 2017.
“He hasn’t been to the NFC title game in two decades and he gets in?” Kraft told a confidant, via Don Van Natta Jr. in a recent ESPN report. “How does that work?”
Kraft has a point.
The Patriots won six Super Bowls in less than two decades under his watch, while the Cowboys haven’t even been to a Super Bowl since 1995.
There was an explanation given to Kraft and Patriots PR chief Stacey James by Hall of Fame voter Jason Cole, per the report. Kraft didn’t seem to buy the answer considering he laughed after hearing it.
Van Natta Jr. wrote:
A few minutes into the conversation, Kraft asked Cole: “How did Jerry Jones manage to get into the Hall of Fame?”
“He’s P.T. Barnum,” Cole said he replied, echoing a sentiment he said he previously had expressed when James called seeking an explanation. “He’s the greatest marketer in the history of the sport.” Cole recalled that Kraft just laughed.
One has to think Kraft will eventually get into the Hall of Fame. He’s probably hoping it happens sooner rather than later considering he’s 83 years old.
Regardless, it’s hard to understand how an owner overseeing the greatest dynasty in NFL history is somehow left out in the cold of the league’s most prestigious honor.
