Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski believes the Patriots firing Jerod Mayo as head coach was unfair. He made his case during an NFL on FOX broadcast on Sunday.

Robert Kraft is taking responsibility for head coach Jerod Mayo's struggles in the 2024 season. The Patriots fired Mayo shortly after the team's Week

Joe Milton III passed for a touchdown and ran for another in his NFL debut, and the New England Patriots cost themselves the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft with a 23-16 win over the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills.

Just hours after their season-ending Week 18 victory over the Buffalo Bills that cost them the #1 overall pick in next spring's NFL Draft, the New England

Additionally, Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, is another name that could be in the mix. The Patriots have reportedly requested permission to interview Johnson about the vacancy left by Mayo, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

The Patriots have fired their head coach after just one season in charge of the team, with the former New England linebacker failing to turn the franchise's fortunes around

FOXBOROUGH – Jerod Mayo didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. On Sunday evening, Mayo addressed his players in the locker room following the team’s win over the Buffalo Bills. After meeting with the media, in his post-game press conference, Mayo departed where he met with ownership and was fired after one season as the Patriots head coach.

Joe Milton scored two touchdowns after relieving a healthy Maye in the first quarter to push the Patriots to a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. As a result, though, the Patriots will hold pick No. 4 in the 2025 NFL Draft. A loss to the Bills would’ve given New England the No. 1 pick.

The 2024 Patriots suffered through two six-game losing streaks, and one of their four wins came against the Bills’ backups in a game Buffalo showed no interest in winning. That season-ending victory did more harm than good for New England, as it knocked the Patriots from first to fourth in the 2025 NFL Draft order.

Mayo was fired immediately after Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills that dropped New England down to No. 4 overall in next spring’s NFL Draft. The Patriots went 4-13 in Mayo’s lone season at the helm and Robert Kraft sent out a statement confirming the move.

While many assumed that Mayo would get a second season with the Patriots, the team has continued its downward spiral since its Week 14 bye, causing a "shift" in the organization over the last month.