Rob Gronkowski seemed upset by the way it was done New England Patriots He managed Jerrod Mayo's first season as head coach, which ended with his firing on Sunday after a win over the Buffalo Bills.
mayonnaise He was hired He replaced Bill Belichick last year after the legendary coach and organization parted ways after six Super Bowls and two dynasties.
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New England Patriots coach Jerrod Mayo looks at the scoreboard during a Buffalo Bills game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, December 22, 2024. (Photos by Mark Koniezny-Imagine)
The Patriots struggled in May's first season, finishing 4-13. But Gronkowski expressed that he doesn't think Mayo has enough time to develop as a head coach.
“I was shocked by this,” he said on Fox. “What happened so soon was a shock to a lot of people.” “Especially here at the office, I think we were all surprised by that. I think it was unfair to coach Jerrod Mayo. He never had the opportunity to develop as a head coach.”
“He was just a rookie in this department. If you judge a coach by his first year, it's really inappropriate.”
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Rob Gronkowski at Fox Sports media day at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona, February 7, 2023. (Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports)
Mayo and Gronkowski were teammates for a few years with the Patriots.
The Patriots were far from playoff contenders entering the season. New England has drafted a rookie quarterback Drake May in the first round and didn't start it until a few weeks into the regular season.
New England ranked 30th in points scored and 31st in yards gained, while 22nd in points and yards allowed.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced the decision in May after the Patriots' win.
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New England Patriots coach Jerrod Mayo shakes hands with Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Stephen Sen)
“After the game, I informed Jerrod Mayo that he will not return as coach of the New England Patriots in 2025,” Kraft said in a statement. “For me personally, this was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made.” He added: “Unfortunately, our team's performance throughout the season did not improve as I had hoped.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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