Even if the Bills fall short of next month’s Super Bowl, they remain positioned for prolonged greatness. If that’s not enough for perennial contention, then the rest of the AFC East’s decrepitude will keep that window wide open.

Bill Simmons sounded off on Patriots owner Robert Kraft for his decisions that led to the team blowing the No. 1 overall pick.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft described firing Jerod Mayo as the hardest decision he's ever had to make, which probably didn't make the last coach he canned, Bill Belichick, feel too good.

In a statement, Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said it was one of the hardest decisions he’s had to make. He added that he’s known Mayo for 17 years, but the team’s performance did not go as he hoped. Kraft has called a 1 p.m. news conference on Monday, which will air live on WPRI 12 and streaming live on the team’s website.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Monday blamed himself for having to fire Jerod Mayo, saying he put the first-year head coach in an "untenable" situation.

Statement from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft: https://t.co/2YgHtzzBHK pic.twitter.com/GMXGgd768x In case you were wondering the last Patriots coach to get canned after one season Was Rod Rust. New England went 1-15 in 1990 before Rust wasd shown the door.

When Robert Kraft hired Jerod Mayo a year ago, he felt he’d identified the right person to follow Bill Belichick.

The Patriots fired Mayo after Sunday’s season-ending victory over the Buffalo Bills, which caused the team to lose their number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Kraft said in a statement that firing was a hard decision, but said, unfortunately, the trajectory was not there. To kick them when they're down, the Patriots needed to lose again

Despite that, the poor performance was enough for the Patriots' front office and owner Robert Kraft to fire Mayo. During a press conference on Monday, Kraft blamed one specific person for Mayo's shortcomings and the disappointing product on the field.

New England's impressive performance against Buffalo's backups and third-stringers actually hurt the franchise, as the Patriots fell out of the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft and into the fourth selection. And, after the game, Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo, leaving the team without a head coach.