We at Duck on a Rock preached patience for Patriots fans and the organization in September when Jerod Mayo began his head coaching career in New England. 

Four months later, Robert Kraft and Pats fans did not listen, as Mayo was fired after a lone 4-13 season. 

On Monday, Kraft said, “This whole situation is on me, I feel terrible for Jerod,” in a press conference. This was Kraft owning up to forcing the greatest coach of all time, Bill Belichick, out after going 4-13 last year. It was also Kraft admitting that he put his hand-picked successor in the chief coaching role too quickly. 

Why was Mayo canned after only one year? A few reasons. 

One, the fans’ outcry became louder and louder. On X, in the stands, and on Boston sports talk radio, Patriots fans wanted Kraft to move on. Kraft heard those pleas and responded accordingly. 

Two, Mayo, who was a great linebacker in Foxboro, a media personality, worked in a corporate role outside of football, and was as an assistant for Belichick, did himself no favors in front of the camera. After having a coach that said very little in 24 years, the Patriots had a coach who said too much in front of the press. Mayo would speak out of both sides of his mouth, call out players then dial it back the next day, allowing players to criticize the fans, and it became a mess. 

And third, but most importantly, the main reason Mayo is no longer the Patriots head coach is because of who can become the Patriots head coach. Kraft realized he got rid of Belichick and hired Mayo too quickly, and knows he needs to hit with the next hire. The fact that Patriot Hall of Famer and former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, as well as the hottest coordinator, Detroit’s Ben Johnson, are available, made the decision for Kraft easy. If those two names weren’t available, I think Mayo may still be the coach. But when the former Patriot interviewed with the Jets on Friday to put pressure on Kraft, he had no choice but to cave. 

As someone who liked the Mayo hire, wanted him to get more time to improve as a head coach, and is sad the Mayo era was only one year, I am now calling for another firing of someone after only one year in their role. 

The main gripe I have now is how Mayo got fired, but Kraft did not fire Eliot Wolf, executive vice president of player personnel. As the chief executive of the franchise, that went 4-13, and had one of the worst rosters in the NFL, Wolf is lucky he is still employed as of now. Mayo got punished for having a record that most pundits predicted the Patriots would have. Wolf should too for putting together the team, even with him drafting the future of the Patriots, Drake Maye. 

It would be ridiculous if Wolf is still the de facto GM when the Patriots take the field in 2025. If the Mayo regime was so bad, get rid of every part of it and start over with a new coach and GM. 

Mayo, the first black coach in franchise history, is fired after one year, but the white GM who had a bad year as well, gets to stay? 

If you’re going to fire Mayo for a bad first year in a new role and you decide not to let him improve and grow in his role, then to me, you should also fire Wolf for putting together a bad roster that had a bad season. Why does Wolf get to grow into the role?

That would be another mistake by Kraft, who as he admitted himself, has made multiple in the past couple of years.