Former Patriots coach Jerod Mayo played cards with players on flight home after double-digit loss: report

THE New England Patriots fired coach Jerod Mayo after just one season on Monday, and a report released Wednesday revealed revealing details about his first year as an NFL head coach and what the preparation for the move was like.

The Patriots closed out the season with a victory over their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills, but that wasn't enough for owner Robert Kraft to want to stay with Mayo.

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo walks on the field before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

“After the game, I informed Jerod Mayo that he would not return as head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me personally, it was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made.” , Kraft said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performance throughout the season has not progressed as I had hoped.”

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Mayo had developed in the Patriots system, first as a player winning a Super Bowl during his eight-year career and then as a linebackers coach under Bill Belichick. But it seems the “Patriots way” hasn’t been reflected in his coaching style.

According to a report from Athletics, One incident that stood out to those close to the situation was flying home after a loss to the Arizona Cardinals last month.

The report claimed that instead of reviewing film with the coaching staff, Mayo chose to play cards with the players.

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium on December 15, 2024. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

“But in a move that surprised some at the front of the plane after such a lopsided loss, according to a team source, Mayo, the team's first-year head coach who had been sorted hand-picked by owner Robert Kraft to take over. Bill Belichick, left his spot near the front and returned to where some players had gathered to play cards, choosing to remain there while his assistants watched film,” Chad Graff's report read.

PATRIOTES OWNER ROBERT KRAFT SHOULDS THE BLAME AFTER JEROD MAYO’S FIRING: “THE ENTIRE SITUATION IS ON ME”

“Look, there are many ways to get the job done,” a team source on board the plane told Graff. “Not that Jerod was definitely wrong. But I can't say I've seen this before.”

Other sources added that Mayo's attempt to differentiate himself from Belichick could have been his downfall.

“Mayo, they say, tried too hard to be 180 degrees different from Belichick, then struggled to enforce and maintain discipline after positioning himself as a players' coach,” the report continued.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick blows his whistle during an NFL football practice Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, file)

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For Kraft, he took responsibility for much of what led to Mayo's troubles.

“This whole situation is on me. I feel bad for Jerod. Because I put him in an untenable situation,” Kraft said during a press conference Tuesday. “I know he has all the tools as a head coach to succeed in this league. He just needed more time before accepting this job.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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