Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam apparently isn’t fond of the direct approach. Reportedly, head coach Mike Pettine asked Haslam is he’d be returning in 2016, whereupon the owner refused to answer the question and abruptly ended the meeting.
This information comes courtesy of NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, via Pro Football Talk.
“Pettine actually asked him, ‘Have you made a decision about my future?’ And Haslam would not answer, and that essentially ended that meeting,” Rapoport said on NFL Network.
Coupled with the report by Rand Getlin on Friday in which he said it’s likely Pettine will be a goner following Cleveland’s Week 17 game at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, this isn’t good news for the coach.
Interestingly enough, Browns players appear to be on the other side of the fence.
Offensive tackle Joe Thomas said recently that replacing the coaching staff (again) would be “a step back” for the organization, and quarterback Johnny Manziel also indicated he wants to see Pettine and the rest of the coaches return next year.
That said, Cleveland enters the final weekend of the 2015 season with a record of 3-12, which is tied with the Tennessee Titans for the worst in the NFL. It’s the eighth year in a row in which the Browns have failed to produce a winning record and is a clear regression from last year’s 7-9 squad.
With this in mind, nobody should be shocked if Haslam kicks Pettine to the curb on Black Monday. And to be quite honest, this is coming a year later than many expected it to happen after Pettine was hired in 2014 following the failed attempts to bring in a big-name coach.