Baker Mayfield on Possible Browns Coaching Changes: 'Whatever Happens, Happens'

If Freddie Kitchens was looking for his quarterback to publicly push for his return in 2020, that doesn't appear to be happening.  

Baker Mayfield took a hands-off approach when asked about Kitchens' job status during his meeting with reporters after Sunday's 31-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

"That's not my decision to make, so whatever happens, happens moving forward," Mayfield said. "I know how I'm gonna handle it, getting whatever receiving corps, tight ends we have together in the offseason and making sure we're on the same page so we hit the ground running in the spring."

"Any time you have a head coach and you have a losing record, that's the first person everybody points to," Mayfield continued. "It goes to many more things than just Freddie. We can all be better in this process ... there's no one single thing to blame. Overall, we have to bring it more and more every day to meet the expectations we have for ourselves."

The Browns clinched their 12th straight losing season Sunday and will finish with a worse record than 2018 despite entering the year as AFC North favorites.

Kitchens was an off-the-wall choice as head coach when the Browns made the hire; he had only a half season as an interim offensive coordinator under his belt. The team hoped his strong work with Mayfield, along with a number of high-profile offseason acquisitions, would end one of the longest playoff droughts in professional sports.

The result has been a seismic failure, with Mayfield regressing in every sense and the Browns playing undisciplined football. Kitchens' relationship with the team has also been in the spotlight, especially after reports of Odell Beckham Jr. and other players (including Jarvis Landry) wanting out surfaced.

Beckham and Landry have denied they want out of Cleveland. However, both have gotten into verbal altercations with the coach in the last two weeks. 

With Beckham and Landry seemingly at odds with the coach and Mayfield giving a tepid-at-best endorsement, the writing may be on the wall for Kitchens.