Freddie Kitchens Fired By Cleveland Browns

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have fired another head coach. Freddie Kitchens was canned after Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Despite coming into the year with high expectations (including visions of a playoff berth), the Browns finished the season with a record of 6-10, worse than their 2018-2019 performance.

"I would like to thank Freddie for his dedication and efforts this past season. We are disappointed in our results and feel a change is necessary. Freddie is a good man and good football coach. We wish he and his family nothing but success," general manager John Dorsey said in a statement.

Kitchens joined the Browns in 2018 as an associate head coach but was promoted to head coach in the off-season. During his early days, the team acquired wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., along with several other players. The Browns became the subject of much media attention, with several prognosticators predicting the team would make a playoff run.

Success never materialized. The Browns struggled out of the gate, losing the home opener to the Tennessee Titans. The team never recovered, struggling instead through a disjointed season full of controversy and off-the-field antics.

Perhaps the single darkest mark against Kitchens was the performance of the Browns' young quarterback, Baker Mayfield. After a sterling rookie season, Mayfield regressed, throwing 20 interceptions, less than 4,000 yards and completing less than 60 percent of his passes. Kitchens was once considered a quarterback whisperer, capable of unlocking Mayfield's strongest performances.

The Browns will now return to the coaching carousel, hoping to find the long-term answer to a frequently empty position.