New England Patriots great Vince Wilfork isn't thrilled with how the organization treated his former teammate Jerod Mayo.
The Patriots fired Mayo, a first-year head coach, one day after finishing their tumultuous 2024 season with a 4-13 record. A week later, they
announced the hiring of fellow ex-Pats linebacker Mike Vrabel as Mayo's replacement.
Wilfork
didn't mince words about the move, which he called a "setup," during an interview with Fox News.
"I think it was BS to pull that. And knowing Jerod personally, I know the conversations," the two-time Super Bowl champion said. "I know what it is. It’s just hard to fathom, but that’s the business when you deal with certain people. I think it was unfair."
While Wilfork disagrees with the Patriots' handling of Mayo, he acknowledges Vrabel -- who overlapped with Wilfork for five seasons as a player in New England (2004-08) and two seasons as a linebackers coach with the Houston Texans (2015-16) -- was the right hire to get the struggling franchise "back on track."
"I don’t question Vrabel’s capabilities," he said. "I know he can win. He showed that with Tennessee, going to the AFC Championship in his first year. I know what a great coach Vrabel is. I’m not questioning that whatsoever. I’m very happy and thrilled for the Patriots to land Vrabel.
"I just think it’s unfair what Mayo had to go through. He didn’t have a chance. It was bullcrap from the get-go, and it’s a lot of backstabbing going on. … We’ll see what happens. It’s all part of the game, I guess, but it’s unfair however you slice it. He never had a chance."
Wilfork isn't the only Patriots legend who believes the organization did Mayo dirty. Rob Gronkowski
said it was "unfair" that Mayo didn't get the chance to develop as a head coach.
Nonetheless, it will be Vrabel leading the organization through what will be a pivotal offseason in Foxboro. The new head coach
will be the "final decision maker" on personnel decisions despite the return of executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.
