The first rule of Tank Club is don’t talk about Tank Club. In more ways than one.
Teams shouldn’t talk about it while they’re doing it. And the league prefers that it never be discussed after it has happened. Or after it hasn’t happened and the implications of it not happening become obvious.
Entering the final weekend of the 2024 regular season, the Patriots would have secured the first pick in the 2025 draft with a loss. Given the timing of the firing of coach Jerod Mayo (i.e., within an hour or so after the game ended), the decision to wipe the slate clean had been made.