Cleveland Browns part ways with former Chiefs general manager John Dorsey
The John Dorsey Era is over in Cleveland.
Dorsey, who was hired in December 2017 as the Browns’ general manager months after being fired by the Chiefs, lasted a little more than two years in Cleveland.
The Browns tweeted the news:
The Browns fired coach Freddie Kitchens on Monday and Dorsey said the coaching vacancy was part of the reason he is leaving.
“When I took this job, the history of this storied franchise and the passion of our fans was an integral part of my decision,” Dorsey wrote in a statement on the Browns site. “It is that same understanding and desire to see these fans enjoy the success they are so deserving of that helped me conclude, along with Jimmy and Dee (Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam), that it was best to part ways as they embark on the search for a new head coach. I know how critical the relationship is between a general manager and head coach and I also know how critical it is that the Browns have a strong leader in their next coach. I have a great appreciation for the men and women I have worked with since being in Cleveland and my family has the same love and appreciation for this community and are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this journey.”
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Browns owners planned to restructure the front office and Dorsey didn’t want to stick around.
Jimmy and Dee Haslam released a statement on the team’s website saying: “We have a great appreciation for John and all he has done with the Cleveland Browns. He has helped create a foundation that we need to continue to develop and build upon. While John helped greatly improve our team’s talent and we are excited about the core players on our roster, we fully recognized that our team did not meet its potential on or off the field and additional changes in leadership give us the best opportunity for success in the future. As the role of the general manager continues to evolve in this league we felt there were areas that needed to be reassessed. Over the last 48 hours, we’ve had discussion with John about his role but could not come to an agreement on a position that would enable him to remain with the organization.
“As we conveyed on Sunday and our players reiterated yesterday, bringing in a strong leader with our head coach is our priority. Our process to improve upon the leadership will allow the flexibility to ensure we create the best partnership between our future head coach and general manager.”
Dorsey was hired by Cleveland following the Browns’ 0-16 season.
Cleveland had a 7-8-1 record in 2018 and hopes were high that quarterback Baker Mayfield and company could parlay that into a playoff appearance this year.
Instead, the Browns finished 6-10 and missed the postseason for the 17th straight season.
Before joining the Browns, Dorsey had spent four seasons as the Chiefs’ general manager. But he was fired after the 2016 season because of “concerns about his internal communication and management styles,” according to a Star story.
For the Browns, they are now looking for their 10th general manager since 1999.
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 2:06 PM.
