Did Mike Vrabel’s Jets Interview Pressure Patriots To Fire Jerod Mayo?

The New England Patriots wasted little time firing Jerod Mayo after the final horn concluded their 4-13 season.

But was the move reactionary simply because their AFC East rival, the New York Jets, interviewed Mike Vrabel on Friday?

According to CBS NFL reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, that may just be the case.

“Was told that Mike Vrabel’s dalliance w/ #Jets was to put pressure on #Patriots to make a move,” Kinkhabwala wrote on X on Sunday. “With a young, incredibly promising QB (who improved every week despite very little talent around him), more cap space than anyone and stable ownership, of course the NE job ranks high.”

Vrabel has been linked as a possible replacement for the Patriots even before Mayo lost his job. According to reports from ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Jets insider Connor Hughes, Vrabel is expected to interview for the vacancy in New England.

The three-time Patriots Super Bowl champion has more head coaching experience than Mayo did, but is that enough for Robert Kraft to take a chance on another former player simply because he played in New England?