Christian Gonzalez feels Patriots did Jerod Mayo a “little dirty” by firing him after just 1 season
Patriots star Christian Gonzalez finally broke his silence on the sudden firing of former head coach Jerod Mayo after just one season failure.
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Jerod Mayo and Christian Gonzalez (Via CNN/Patriots Wire)
If it’s not Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots don’t believe in giving second chances to head coaches. Jerod Mayo, the first back head coach in the franchise history, was just settling in when Robert Kraft decided to fire him based on a 4-13 record but looks like star cornerback Christian Gonzalez isn’t letting this go easily.
The Patriots hired Mayo for a miraculous turnaround, succeeding the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach. As the season witnessed a collapse, owner Kraft was not ready to hear any excuses and parted ways with Mayo merely two hours after the final regular season game. They also didn’t waste time in the hiring process of the next, bringing in Mike Vrabel as the new head coach.
More than a month later, the Patriots’ star cornerback spoke about the recent coaching changes within the franchise. Though he avoided speaking ill of Vrabel, he claimed that the Patriots did Mayo a “little dirty” after not giving him a proper chance to get a hold of the roster.
I think they did him a little dirty giving him only one year...But, it’s business. We gon’ see what [Mike Vrabel] do… They damn near cleaned house.
Christian Gonzalez said on the Frat Rules Podcast
Christian Gonzalez speaks on the Patriots' firing Jerod Mayo:
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 19, 2025
"I did [like Jerod Mayo as a coach]. I did. I think they did him a little dirty giving him only one year. But, it's business… We gon' see what [Mike Vrabel] do… They damn near cleaned house."
Gonzalez loves talking… pic.twitter.com/6i3o35K098
The franchise, once known to be the greatest dynasty in the league, finished the 2024 season with another 4-13 collapse and occupying the top-five picks of the draft. As much as the higher draft pick is an opportunity for them, it certainly isn’t an ideal position to be.
Christian Gonzalez reflects on coaching changes following his All-Pro season under Jerod Mayo
New England’s former head coach Mayo may not have been able to make much of a difference in one season, but he surely improved Gonzalez’s game. The cornerback finished the season with 59 tackles, 11 pass defenders, and two interceptions that earned him the second-team All-Pro nod.
“They damn near cleaned house,” Gonzalez added further about the Patriots’ coaching changes for 2025. “When Bill left, it was basically the same staff, just without Bill.”
Learning from the mistakes, the Patriots made significant changes in the coaching staff and not just the head coach position. With Vrabel, they hope for rejuvenation and Gonzalez focuses on continuing his development under the new regime for the third time in three seasons.
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2258 Articles Published)