A new era may be beginning for the rebuilding New England Patriots, as Mike Vrabel is their new head coach and Drake Maye will be their starting quarterback moving forward.
Vrabel got plenty out of an underwhelming Tennessee Titans roster as the Titans’ head coach from 2018 to 2023, and Maye started to show some promise as a rookie as the 2024 season wore on.
An opportunity opened up for Vrabel when the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo, who was a rookie head coach, minutes after their final regular season game this season.
Although Vrabel has experience and a resume that Mayo lacks, some, including Vince Wilfork, feel it was unfair for the team to fire Mayo so hastily, per 98.5 The Sports Hub.
“it was very unfortunate for Jerod because I think it was an unfair deal for him,” said Wilfork. “It’s a lose-lose situation for him because he’s coming in as a new coach trying to replace the greatest coach of all time with a crappy roster that he inherited from Bill Belichick. … At least give him three years to figure out, go get draft picks and figure out and see if you could turn it around.”
On today’s @ZoandBertrand, @wilfork75 explained why it was unfair that Jerod Mayo got let go just after one season.@Marc_Bertrand @scottzolak @Tim_McKone @TMorgan985 @tylermilliken_ @kfabrizio985 pic.twitter.com/iDpJDZt3x6
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) February 5, 2025
Wilfork and Mayo played together on the defensive side of the football for the Patriots in the late 2000s and 2010s, and they restarted the team’s dynasty by helping it win the Super Bowl championship in the 2014 season over the Seattle Seahawks.
It is very typical for coaches, even new ones, to get fired at the first sign of major trouble, and there are those who think that doing business in that manner isn’t right.
New England had quite possibly the NFL’s worst roster this season, but moving forward, they do have Maye, who could very well be a worthy heir apparent to the legendary Tom Brady.
They will also have the No. 4 pick in April’s draft and lots of cap space, which will allow Vrabel to start to shape the roster to his liking, something Mayo wasn’t able to do.
NEXT: Insider Expresses ‘Reservation’ About Mike Vrabel As Head Coach
