"Things have gotten toxic" - Insider raises alarm on Patriots' HC job as Robert Kraft and Co. aim to bring back glory days

On Monday, the New England Patriots fired Jerod Mayo after only one year in charge of the team and are now hunting for a new head coach to lead the team in 2025 and beyond.

On paper, the Patriots are a good situation for any coach to walk into. They have over $130 million in cap space, a franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, who'll be on his rookie deal for three more seasons, and owner Robert Kraft hungry for success.

However, according to NFL insider Albert Breer, things aren't as rosy as they sound. On the Breer Report show, he outlined the challenges the new head coach will face after joining the team.

He said:

"The [Patriots'] roster is in really, really rough shape. And it may take more than one off-season to get to where you need to be to contend. There's also the environment in New England right now, the expectations, the temperature has been turned up to 100 on a lot of things there" (starting at 03:00).

The insider shared the team's famed winning culture no longer exists. He added:

"I think there are some outgoing coaches with the Patriots that would tell you that things have gotten toxic. And that the organization now is one of those that is affected by the environment. So that's certainly something I think any candidate would take a look at and consider when they're looking at the viability of the job."

Patriots' new head coach: Team will interview the top two candidates

The Patriots seemingly won't take long before hiring a new head coach. They have already interviewed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and former Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton for the vacant role. However, those interviews were likely to meet the Rooney Rule.

The team's, and every team with a head coach vacancy, top two targets are former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Vrabel is revered in Foxborough. He spent eight seasons with the franchise as a player and won three Super Bowls. He was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2023 and was touted by many as Bill Belichick's successor. The team opted to give the reins to Jerod Mayo, but the former Coach of the Year can now land the gig.

The Patriots have scheduled an interview with Johnson, who's at the top of the wishlist of every team hunting for a new head coach. He has transformed the Lions offense into a juggernaut and impressed fans, analysts, and owners alike with his endless bag of trick plays.

New England believes they have Tom Brady's successor in Drake Maye, and pairing him with an offensive-minded head coach like Johnson is the franchise's priority. It remains to be seen whether the Lions' offensive coordinator takes the job or the team decides to go with Vrabel.