Multiple reports have now mentioned that former New England Patriots player and one-time Associated Press Coach of the Year Award winner Mike Vrabel would have at least some interest in returning to New England if Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft fire first-year head coach Jerod Mayo as soon as Sunday night.
However, Patriots beat writer Chris Mason of MassLive explained in a mailbag published on Thursday why he believes “Mayo will be back for a second season” even though 3-13 New England is a loss to the 13-3 Buffalo Bills away from possessing the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Despite the calamitous on-field product, Mayo was Robert Kraft’s hand-picked successor to Bill Belichick,” Mason noted. “Call it stubbornness, pride, or whatever else you want, but I don’t think Kraft will make Mayo a one-and-done coach after writing a succession clause into his contract and punting on a coaching search entirely in the last cycle. He really, really likes him.”
Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 through 2015 and later joined Bill Belichick’s staff as an inside linebackers coach in 2019. While many outsiders assume Vrabel’s resume shows he’d be an upgrade at head coach for New England, Mason pointed out the team features “an offense with practice-squad talent on the offensive line and at wide receiver.”
With that said, Mason thinks Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt could become “the fall guy” so that “the Krafts can save face and say, ‘See, losing is unacceptable!'” In a different article, Mason shared how veteran running back Antonio Gibson said on Wednesday it “would be completely wrong” for the club to throw Van Pelt “under the bus” next week.
One would think the Krafts would want to keep Van Pelt through at least January 2026, considering rookie quarterback Drake Maye improved throughout the fall while working with the team’s current staff. Mason nevertheless seems convinced the Patriots showing Van Pelt the door is “likelier than Mayo getting fired,” but one wonders if the situation could change if New England looks completely checked out versus Buffalo at Gillette Stadium this Sunday.