CINCINNATI _ Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have yet to publicly reveal their decision on the future of Freddie Kitchens, and the first-year head coach insisted after a 33-23 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday's season finale he hasn't been informed of his fate.
He will be soon.
"I seriously don't want to get into speculation because I have not been told anything," Kitchens said during his post-game news conference at Paul Brown Stadium.
?(The Haslams) want me to do my job, and that's what I'm going to do is do my job until they tell me not to, if they tell me not to."
With questions about Kitchens' job security hanging over the Browns, they fell to an AFC North foe who had won just one game entering the finale. The defeat could prove to be the death knell for Kitchens as Cleveland's head coach.
The Browns finished their season of great disappointment with a record of 6-10 as the Bengals improved to 2-14. The Browns ended a season with double-digit losses for the 16th time since their rebirth in 1999. They haven't made the playoffs in 17 years and haven't finished with a winning record in 12 years. They're the only team in the NFL without a winning season in the past decade.
This year was supposed to be different, though. General Manager John Dorsey loaded the roster with talent, trading for Odell Beckham Jr. to pair with fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry and give quarterback Baker Mayfield two Pro Bowl-caliber targets and signing Kareem Hunt to form an elite running back tandem with Nick Chubb.
But with Kitchens juggling offensive play-calling duties with the game-management responsibilities of a head coach, the Browns flopped in spectacular fashion.
"I think you guys know my thoughts on 6-10," Kitchens said. "It's not even remotely good enough. We're not running an operation here to try to be 6-10. We're trying to win every time we go out. We didn't get that done this year. But moving forward, we've got to do a much job coaching, playing, making plays, and when we're back in those situations, perform better."
Kitchens might not get to move forward with the Browns.
Mayfield and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said they believe the team could achieve success next season if Kitchens were retained, but Landry didn't offer an endorsement.
"I don't know, and that's not my job or not my call," Landry said. "We'll see what ownership does, but 6-10 definitely is not acceptable."
