After the 2024 season, Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired coach Jerod Mayo, after only one year on the job. Given the success of the team with Mike Vrabel in charge, Kraft’s decision has been vindicated.
Still, it wasn’t easy. Appearing on The Quick Snap podcast with David Andrew and Brian Hoyer, Kraft explained the dilemma he confronted.
“I’m very fond of Jerod, and I would say that was one of the one or two hardest decisions [I’ve had to make], because to fire a guy after one year — and by the way, it was very expensive, because there [was] not only his contract, but 25 other coaches,” Kraft said. “It’s the worst financial implications since we’ve owned the team.”
Kraft realized that he had no choice but to make a change.
“I’m a fan first, and I thought, ‘I can’t — this just isn’t the right situation,’ and that’s on me,” Kraft said. “Jerod’s a great guy, but I just didn’t want to go through a continuation of what happened. And I really believed that hiring Mike gave us a chance, quickly, to put the team where it was to go from 4-13 to now 15-3.”
Kraft was influenced by the fact that it’s about more than the balance sheet.
“The one thing that I and my family understand is that we own this team, but it’s not like a traditional business,” Kraft said. “I look at our family as custodians of a public asset.”
Not enough owners view it that way. It’s a profit center, in their estimation. And Kraft’s interpretation of his obligation surely has something to do with the success of the franchise during his time as owner.