CLEVELAND — Following the Cleveland Browns' disappointing 2-6 start to the 2019 season, many have begun to wonder about the status of head coach Freddie Kitchens.
But according to Steve Wyche of the NFL Network, Kitchens' job status is still safe -- and will remain that way until at least the end of the season.
"I spoke to some people in the organization and they say that general manager John Dorsey is committed to Freddie through the season," Wyche said on Monday. "This was his hire, he sung his praises. I think the fact that as bad as it's gone, the Browns are still within striking distance of winning this division. They are going to stick with him."
But as Wyche went on to admit, all is clearly not well for the Browns, who entered the 2019 season as the front-runner to win the AFC North and were considered by some to even be a Super Bowl contender.
"The fanbase is not happy. You can tell more and more that the players are like, 'What is going on right here?'" Wyche said. "The people I spoke to said the player execution is also an issue. To me, that comes back to coaching, as does Baker Mayfield's regression, and I think a lot of the stuff lays at Freddie's feet. But everything I'm hearing is he's going to make it through the season. But from there it's going to be a real tough call -- it probably all depends on who's going to be available. But I would think that would be a really attractive job."
Following the Browns' 24-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, which marked Cleveland's fourth straight defeat, Kitchens was asked about the seemingly uncertain nature of his job status.
“It really doesn’t concern me,” Kitchens answered when asked if he feared he might get fired. “It’s not my decision. I’ve never worried about it before. I’m not worried about it now and I won’t worry about it in the future. I’ll just do the best job I can do.”
RELATED: Morgan Burnett: I hope former Cleveland Browns safety Jermaine Whitehead ‘gets the help he needs’
RELATED: Cleveland Browns focus on execution after red-zone issues persist in loss to Denver Broncos
RELATED: Baker Mayfield Report: No turnovers, yet no big plays in Cleveland Browns’ loss to Denver Broncos
