Tom Brady made his move, driving one night to Robert Kraft’s home in Brookline to inform him that he wanted to leave the New England Patriots machine and venture elsewhere. Bill Belichick made his move, too. First, by drafting Jimmy Garoppolo to supplant Brady. And, then, by failing to protest when the space between he and Brady became palpable and the playmakers around the quarterback dried up, causing immense frustration.
Now, Kraft has made his step forward by hiring Jerod Mayo as the team’s next head coach. Mayo is the first Black head coach in team history. He is the youngest coach in the NFL right now at age 37. Kraft had long ago identified Mayo as a potential successor and had written as much into the former Pro Bowl linebacker’s contract. At a critical moment in the franchise’s lifecycle, he has relied on his instincts.
Despite Mike Vrabel, another player with Patriots ties with a track record of head coaching success available, Kraft decided to stick with a plan that was years in the making. He eschewed what would be a fan-pacifying move and, perhaps likely, a quicker path back to relevance, for a decision that could either highlight his brilliance or his hubris.
