The Browns reportedly are considering Freddie Kitchens and Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski are the two finalists for the head-coaching job. How that question gets resolved may come down to the manner in which an internal struggle is resolved.
Per a league source, the choice may come down to an internal battle of wills, with the football guys (led by John Dorsey) pulling one way and the analytics guys (led by Paul DePodesta) pulling the other.
The problem is that both Dorsey and DePodesta report independently to owner Jimmy Haslam. The reality is that quarterback Baker Mayfield could break the tie, and his input definitely matters.
For now, the thinking is that Dorsey (and Mayfield) prefer Kitchens, and that DePodesta prefers Stefanski to Kitchens. However it plays out, this may not end up being the kind of inspired hire that Mayfield’s presence could have sparked.
That inspired hire may have to wait until the next time the Browns are looking, which as history tells us could come sooner than later.