The New England Patriots are quickly entering another new era football after just one year with Jerod Mayo. It's been a disappointing few years for the organization following two decades of dominance, though most are encouraged by the outlook with Mike Vrabel calling the shots.
While the roster has significant holes and ranks among the league's worst overall, it does feature two exciting stars in quarterback Drake Maye and All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez. That duo forms the foundation of the future, and now the front office's job is to surround them with talent.
However, alignment between the players and the organization is crucial as well. Based on recent comments from Gonzalez, it sounds like he wasn't supportive of Mayo's firing after only one campaign.
Christian Gonzalez on the #Patriots’ coaching changes:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) February 19, 2025
“I did [like Jerod Mayo as a coach]. I did. I think they did him a little dirty giving him only one year. But, it’s business… We gon’ see what [Mike Vrabel] do… They damn near cleaned house.”
(🎥 Frat Rules Podcast) pic.twitter.com/2SwkxBBVFx
Appearing on the "Frat Rules Podcast", Gonzalez was asked if he liked Mayo as a coach.
"I did, I did. I think they did him a little dirty giving him only one year. But, it’s business… We gon’ see what (Mike Vrabel) do," Gonzalez said. "(The Patriots) damn near cleaned house.”
He makes a fair point, as New England elected to bring in an entire new staff after a second consecutive 4-13 season. The glory days of the Patriots feel like a distant memory and Robert Kraft hopes Vrabel has better success than Mayo. Luckily for him, Vrabel has proven success, having led the Tennessee Titans with Ryan Tannehill to a home AFC Championship Game during his tenure.
How he progresses Gonzalez's development will be crucial. The 2023 first-round pick ranked 20th out of 223 qualified cornerbacks at Pro Football Focus this season, surrendering a mere 55.7% completion percentage and 71.7 passer rating when targeted in coverage. With a few shrewd moves in the coming months, it's not hard to imagine the Patriots returning to a top-10 defense in 2025.
Gonzalez has to buy into the new regime in order to make that work. He was taught a cruel lesson about the business side of the NFL and will now have his third coach in three seasons. Here's hoping for his sake that Vrabel sticks around for more than one year.