"They did him a little dirty": Christian Gonzalez makes thoughts clear on Mike Vrabel replacing Jerod Mayo

New England Patriots linebacker Christian Gonzalez believes the organization did Jerod Mayo "dirty" by giving him only one year on the job. Now, the Patriots have hired Mike Vrabel to be the team's next head coach.

Gonzalez joined the "Frat Rules Podcast" on Wednesday and was asked for his thoughts on the situation. While Gonzalez wasn't particularly happy with Mayo receiving just one season to try his hand at head coach, he understands the NFL is a business and is open to seeing how Vrabel fares at the position instead.

"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."

Mayo previously played linebacker for the Patriots for the entirety of his career from 2008 to 2015. His coaching career began in 2019, coaching the Patriots' inside linebackers, the same position he played for New England and won a Super Bowl at. Last offseason, Mayo became the first coach New England hired after going their separate ways with Bill Belichick after over 20 years.

The result was an underwhelming one, as the Patriots went 4-13 on the year, finishing dead last in the AFC East and missing the playoffs. It was announced just hours after the Patriots' 2024 season finale that Mayo would not be returning next season as head coach.

Last month, Vrabel was hired to right the ship moving forward.

New England Patriots hope Mike Vrabel can enforce major change

Mike Vrabel is also a former linebacker for the Patriots, however, where he differs from Mayo is he brings previous head coaching experience to the table. Vrabel spent six seasons with the Tennessee Titans, taking the franchise to three postseason appearances, one of those going as far as a Conference Championship game.

NFL: New England Patriots Mike Vrabel Press Conference - Source: Imagn

His final two seasons with the team resulted in losing records, thus, the organization decided to move on from Mike Vrabel.

Vrabel now enters his role with New England with a head coaching record of 54-45. He inherits a young quarterback in Drake Maye coming off a promising rookie season in 2024, and the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to play with.

With these two pieces in place, Vrabel has a nice launching point to get potential much-needed change going in New England in hopes of returning to their former glory.