New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo wasn’t going to apologize for winning a football game.
Even if it ended up costing the Patriots the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Some Patriots fans were frustrated to see New England take a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale Sunday at Gillette Stadium, and as a result slide from the top spot in the draft order.
Mayo was asked following the game what his message to upset Patriots fans would be and it’s clear the first-year head coach wasn’t going to try to lose on purpose.
“Look, anytime we step foot (on the field), and I’ve said this over the past couple of weeks, as a player, as a coach, we always want to go out there and win,” Mayo told reporters, per team-provided video.
The Patriots will now have the No. 4 overall pick as the Tennessee Titans vaulted up to the top selection thanks to a loss to the Houston Texans and New England’s win.
It’s unclear if Mayo, or executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf for that matter, will be around to see the Patriots on the clock. There were multiple reports about Mayo’s job security this past week, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter even “leaning out” that Mayo comes back for a second season.
Mayo didn’t want the attention on him after the win over the Bills, but could address his future when he meets with the media again Monday.
“Just there in the locker room, pretty emotional,” Mayo said. “But at the same time, these guys have been turning the page, ignoring the noise and just coming to work every day and I’m very appreciative of that. I told them after the first win of the season, ‘Coaches are nothing without the players.’ And I just told them that again. I just appreciate all of the effort.
“I also told them, ‘Look, today it’s all about the game. We’ll have enough time here tomorrow, next couple of days to address all the other things.’ At some point and time here, I have my normal meeting with the Krafts and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
