The New England Patriots have fired coach Jerod Mayo after one season, beginning another reboot for the franchise just a year after it parted with longtime coach Bill Belichick.
Owner Robert Kraft announced the firing in a statement shortly after New England closed its 4-13 season with a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills. Kraft called it “one of the hardest decisions” he’s had to make.
A former Patriots linebacker who worked as an assistant under Belichick, Mayo started the season with a strong endorsement from Kraft. But he struggled to get the most out of a young roster that included rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
New England’s win, combined with the Tennessee Titan’s loss to Houston, gave this year’s No. 1 pick to the 3-14 Titans.
Rodgers hits 500 TD milestone
Aaron Rodgers became the fifth player in NFL history to throw 500 career regular-season touchdown passes, accomplishing the feat in the second quarter of the New York Jets’ game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
On first-and-goal from the 5, Rodgers dropped back and then ran forward in the pocket to buy some time before zipping a pass to Tyler Conklin in the end zone to give the Jets a 7-6 lead with 7:57 left before halftime.
He joins Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508) as the only players to reach the milestone.
