New England Patriots legend Vince Wilfork supports the team hiring Mike Vrabel as the new head coach, but he isn’t happy with the way former coach Jerod Mayo was treated by the organization.
Mayo was chosen to take over one of the worst rosters in the league with the plan for a multi-year rebuild. He would essentially be learning on the job as a first-year head coach.
However, those plans were quickly nixed after the team finished with a 4-13 record. Mayo was quickly fired after the win over the Buffalo Bills in the regular season finale, and the team moved to hire Vrabel within a week.
Even owner Robert Kraft admitted Mayo’s one-and-done coaching run was his fault for putting a first-time coach in an “untenable” situation. Wilfork had plenty to say on the matter in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
“I think it was BS to pull that. And knowing Jerod personally, I know the conversations,” said Wilfork. “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.”
According to Wilfork, the Patriots had “the same [expletive] roster” that was left behind by former coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick.
“So what do you think Mayo was [going to] do with the same people Bill brought in? Mayo’s the one who found the future quarterback in Drake Maye. It’s just unfortunate. But it’s part of the game, part of the business,” said Wilfork.
The former two-time Super Bowl champion nose tackle claimed he was “very happy for Vrabel” getting the job. His frustrations are more aimed at how Mayo was treated in the process.
Vrabel and Mayo are two of Wilfork’s former teammates, which would explain his deep personal feelings for both sides. It’s fair to admit the Patriots did wrong by Mayo when even the owner himself took the onus for the situation.
But it’s also hard to argue that a more experienced coaching staff could get the most out of the current roster in place.