Freddie Kitchens has proven to be a revelation since taking over as Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator, but his future is littered with question marks.
In an ideal world, the Cleveland Browns would keep Freddie Kitchens as their offensive coordinator for 2019 and hopefully beyond. Since the firing of Todd Haley that saw Kitchens promoted to his current role directing Baker Mayfield and the Browns offense, he has proven his merit for the job. Though the offense hasn’t been without hiccups, it’s clear that he’s ignited something in an up-and-coming team.
Thus, it stands to reason that, regardless of whether or not interim head coach Gregg Williams is retained for that position, that Cleveland would love for Kitchens to stay on as the offensive coordinator. And, considering that Kitchens entered the year as the Browns running backs coach, that would no doubt be a forward step in his coaching career.
Having said that, Kitchens went on the record on Friday in saying (per NFL.com) that he “no doubt” wants a head coaching job in the NFL. Again, this shouldn’t be surprising for any coach to want to further his career. Having said that, the current state of the NFL and the search for offensive innovation combined with Kitchens’ desire to be a head coach could put the Browns in a tough spot.
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Kitchens’ time as the Browns offensive coordinator has brought to light his prowess as a play-caller and as an offensive mind, utilizing the weapons at hand in Cleveland to their maximum effectiveness while also developing young players further. For teams around a league that are looking for the “next Sean McVay” type hire, that could make Kitchens an intriguing head coaching candidate this year.
It’s not far-fetched to believe that a team in search of a new head coach for 2019 could take a gamble on Kitchens, despite his limited experience, and give him the reins of a team. Pairing him with an established defensive coordinator and allowing him to run the offense — a la McVay and Wade Phillips — seems to be a risk worth taking.
The Browns could certainly go this route if they were so inclined, but, as stated, it is a risk given Kitchens’ limited body of work as a play-caller and offensive coordinator, despite how impressive that sample size has been.
What is created by this is a conundrum of sorts regarding the Browns and Kitchens. If they want to retain Kitchens, they may be forced to do so as a head coach or nothing else. It’s highly unlikely that the current Cleveland offensive coordinator would choose to stay in that role in favor of a head coaching position elsewhere throughout the NFL, especially given his recently voiced ambitions.
To be clear, this might not be a bad thing for the Browns. Should they make Kitchens the head coach in 2019 so to retain him in house, that would be a move in line with where the NFL is heading, if not a risky decision. Regardless, the situation with Kitchens has become far more complicated than simply if he should be the offensive coordinator beyond this season.