How Jerod Mayo Reacted To Being Fired By Robert Kraft, Patriots

Jerod Mayo led the Patriots to a season-ending win, but he didn’t do any celebrating Sunday night.

Mayo was fired by New England almost immediately after its costly victory over the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. The 38-year-old, who reportedly did not know about his impending termination before kickoff, saw the Patriots go 4-13 in his lone season at the helm in Foxboro, Mass.

Robert Kraft highlighted the difficulty of the decision when he released a statement Sunday evening. The longtime Patriots owner emphasized that note Monday afternoon when he revealed how Mayo took the news.

“He was a man. Look, it was one of the more difficult things I’ve had to do in my life because I had such affection for him,” Kraft told reporters, per a team-provided video. “I believe in him, and I really do believe he will go on as he gets more experience. He’ll be successful. It was not easy. He was a gentleman and accepted it that way.”

With Mayo out of the picture, the Patriots will have to replace a head coach for the second time in as many years. The search reportedly will be spearheaded by Kraft and his son — team president Jonathan Kraft — and a familiar face apparently is the frontrunner for the position.