Vince Wilfork wasn’t a fan of Patriots’ ‘BS’ firing of Jerod Mayo
"It’s unfair however you slice it. He never had a chance."
Add Vince Wilfork to the list of former Patriots players who did not approve of New England’s decision to fire Jerod Mayo after just one year as head coach.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Wilfork called out New England for not giving Mayo the time necessary to find his footing in Foxborough – especially with a lackluster roster in place.
“I think it was BS to pull that. And knowing Jerod personally, I know the conversations,” Wilfork 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. … “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.”
Even with the evident growing pains that Mayo went through during his lone season as head coach, Wilfork’s comments fall in line with several of his former teammates when it comes to New England’s impatience with the 38-year-old coach.
“I don’t like it,” Rodney Harrison said during NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast earlier this month. “I thought it was disingenuous by the ownership. They should have never hired the guy and give him one year. You don’t give somebody a one-year opportunity to turn the Patriots around.”
“They don’t have anybody. They don’t have any offensive line. They don’t have any great weapons. They’ve got a young quarterback that has potential but, you’ve got to give him an opportunity, coach.”
Even though Wilfork wasn’t a fan of the Patriots’ handling of Mayo once the 2024 season wrapped, he also believes that New England’s contingency plan in Mike Vrabel should help the franchise get back on track.
Wilfork has plenty of history with Vrabel, playing alongside him in New England for five seasons before spending another two seasons with the Texans (2015-16) while Vrabel was serving as Houston’s linebackers coach.
“I don’t question Vrabel’s capabilities,” Wilfork 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.”
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