Bill Belichick reminds everyone how petty the former Patriots coach is | Matt Vautour

When Bill Belichick wasn't hired as coach in 2024, the former Patriots coach embarked on an image rehabilitation tour that landed him on every show outside of The View.

It seemed designed to remind people that Belichick wasn't just the grumpy curmudgeon from the sidelines, but a smart, engaging individual.

For the most part, it worked pretty well. But beneath all the smiles, multi-sentence replies and ironed shirts, Belichick reminded everyone on Monday that he is still a member of the Pettiness Hall of Fame.

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On Sunday, after the Patriots suffered a kick from a bad Jacksonville Jaguars team, Jerod Mayo called his team “soft.” Given their inability to stop the run in the second half, it wasn't an absurd statement and was probably intended to galvanize the group.

Of course, Belichick knew exactly what his former player and former assistant coach meant. He could have acknowledged that, or he could have left it alone and provided a clear analysis of the Patriots' significant problems.

Instead, he used the moment to undermine Mayo.

“Defensively, the Patriots led the league in rushing defense last year. Yards per carry: No. 1 in the league. And this year they’re somewhere way down in the 20s,” Belichick said. “They are the same people. They re-signed (Anfernee) Jennings, they re-signed (Jahlani) Tavai, they re-signed (Kyle) Dugger. Marcus Jones and (Christian) Gonzalez were healthy all year. You have (Deatrich) Wise, you have (Davon) Godchaux, you have Keion White, you have (Marte) Mapu. There are a lot of the same players…

“These guys are kind of hurting me. Because to call them soft, they’re not soft,” Belichick continued. “They were the best team in the league against the run last year. These guys went out there and did it even though we couldn't score many points offensively. I feel bad for the defensive players because these guys are a tough group. … These guys are all tough players. You’re going to strap it up and drive off.”

Aside from trading Matthew Judon, the Patriots are missing Ja'Whaun Bentley, Jabrill Peppers and Christian Barmore, who were three of their most important players against the run. Not acknowledging this is disingenuous and typically petty.

At 1-6, Mayo is under fire. Belichick, who was pushed aside by the Patriots to hire him, is reveling in New England's struggles a year after his firing.

And it was a shootout. The joint farewell theater of a press conference was always a deception. Last week on The Breakfast Club podcast, Kraft admitted as much.

“I didn't enjoy having to fire him, but if you look at the press conference and how it happened, I tried to do it in an elegant way. And what he did for us was amazing. People have to adapt, and if they don’t, things can change,” Kraft said. “Life is about creating good chemistry and trust. And our record over the last three to four years was not what I wanted. And I had given him so much power. He had complete control over everything. And I'm ashamed, I should have had some better checks and balances.

“But he had earned that right. But then the results weren't there and when you're in the sports business, you win or you lose, there's no gray,” he continued. “And I hate losing.”

For Belichick, a shot at Mayo is also a shot at Kraft, who has attached himself to his new golden boy while distancing himself from his former coach.

Belichick's tenure in New England was one of, if not the best coaching career in NFL history. But he's done a poor job in his last four seasons. His drafting mistakes and incredibly poor handling of the post-Brady quarterback situation are part of the reason the Patriots are in the bad shape they are in.

Calling out Mayo for his choice of words after a loss is cheap, petty, thin-skinned and, frankly, a trait of someone who is pretty gentle.

Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.