For a franchise that spent the last 20-plus years as the most stable in the NFL, the Patriots are in a strange new world.
Consider they have won just eight games over the last two years. Only Carolina has won fewer since the beginning of the 2023 season.
This marks the third straight season the Patriots missed the playoffs, the first time that happened since 1987-93. Only six teams have longer postseason droughts.
And in 2025, the Patriots will have their third head coach in three seasons, and are set to pick in the top five in the NFL Draft in back-to-back years for the first time since they chose Drew Bledsoe first overall in 1993 and Willie McGinest fourth in 1994.
For a franchise that made eight straight trips to the AFC Championship game from 2011-18, this run of instability has been tough for fans and former players alike.
This week, a handful of former Patriots expressed regret regarding the current situation, but added it was only a matter of time before the team was forced to reset.
“There had to be some sort of reckoning,’’ said tight end Christian Fauria. “Every dynasty team goes through it. The Niners, Cowboys, Steelers. Green Bay. It happens to every great team. I was just waiting for it to happen here so the process could start over again.
“I didn’t think it would ever be this dysfunctional here, because at their heart, the Krafts are really successful businessmen. But dealing with the loss of [Tom] Brady and Bill [Belichick] within a three- or four-year span, you knew the transition was going to be clunky.’’
Running back LeGarrette Blount has a problem with the way the last couple of years have played out, but said the decision to fire a Black head coach after one season adds another element to the conversation in terms of repairing the reputation of the franchise.
“I’m going to be honest, I don’t know if they made a mistake firing [Jerod] Mayo, but I don’t think he got a fair shake,’’ said Blount. “I didn’t like how they moved on 30 minutes after the game. That’s insane.’’
I don’t think that was the right way to go about it, because optics matter. You’re firing a Black coach after one season? It just doesn’t look good. It just doesn’t.’’
The Patriots went from 2001-19 without a sub-.500 season, making 17 playoff appearances, reaching 13 AFC title games, and winning six Super Bowls. But the lack of a post-Brady plan and other missteps led to a steady downward spiral, as they went from 10-7 and a wild-card berth in 2021 to back-to-back 4-13 seasons in 2023-24.
Former players acknowledge no one is feeling sorry for the Patriots, who were consistently great for such a long period.
“It’s different as you become a fan of the team and no longer a member of the franchise,’’ said former linebacker Matt Chatham. “But a lot of our friends and post-career associates are from other places, and they go through this all the time, and give us a hard time for acting like this is such a big deal when really this is the norm.
“You’ll get situations like [Mike] Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Bill here. Maybe Andy Reid in Kansas City. But on the whole, it’s a pretty rare thing in the NFL to have that sort of stretch.
“You don’t enjoy what’s happening now, but you understand that the environment that was around here for the last 20 years or so was an outlier, and not the norm.’’
While former players acknowledged their deep respect for Mayo, the possibility of another former teammate, Mike Vrabel, becoming the head coach sparked optimism.
“No one is a bigger fan of Mike Vrabel than me,’’ said former linebacker Ted Johnson. “I covered Mike in Houston, and I was the one on the radio down there pounding the table before anyone else, back when he was a position coach.
“He’s the brightest player I’ve ever been around. He’s got a youthful energy that is undeniable and unmatched. I don’t know where he gets that energy, but he has it. People are drawn to him. Mike is not all hat, no cowboy. He’s all cowboy. He’s the real deal. He’s got a knowledge of the game that no player I’ve ever played with came closer to having.’’
Blount acknowledged the talent of young players such as Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez, but he added that it’s about more than drafting and developing.
“That’s the name of the game now,’’ Blount said. “If you want to compete with the big dogs, you have to open up the wallet and get some big-time guys. Vrabel has a good chance. He’s been successful. And I don’t blame him for being vocal about wanting that job. But I think they have a lot of work to do.
“I don’t think it will change in one season. What will they do if Vrabel goes out there and wins three games? I mean, he took Tennessee to the playoffs, he’s had success. But there’s no Derrick Henry in New England. You can’t ride those coattails.’’
Ultimately, the hope among many ex-Patriots is that the decision to fire Mayo represented a bottoming-out, and the return to relevancy can begin in earnest.
“It’s tough, and I think it’s going to be hard to get back to the point where we were winning championships and going to Super Bowls,’’ said Chris Hogan, who went to three consecutive Super Bowls with the Patriots (2016-18).
“It’s tough to win in this league, and I think on some level, we all took the last 20 or so years for granted. I think now, Robert Kraft and the rest of the organization is in search of the next person they can invest with and are comfortable with moving forward.’’
