The Redskins have made a 0-5 start to the campaign - their worst since 2005
Monday 7 October 2019 12:40, UK
The Washington Redskins have fired head coach Jay Gruden.
Washington have made a 0-5 start to the season - their worst since 2005 - and have decided to end Gruden's spell of just under six years with the franchise.
Gruden was informed of the decision early on Monday morning by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and president Bruce Allen, according to the team's official website.
A statement read: "Through the first five games of the 2019 season, the team has clearly not performed up to expectations, and we all share in that responsibility.
"Moving forward, we are committed to doing all that we can collectively as an organisation to turn things around and give our Redskins fans and alumni a team they can be proud of in 2019 and beyond."
Gruden joined Washington in 2014 and has gone 35-49-1 in five-plus seasons. Entering this season, he had won at least seven games in four straight years, including a 9-7 campaign in 2015 that saw his team reach the playoffs.
He had insisted he was not concerned about his job security after Sunday's 33-7 home loss to the New England Patriots.
"Nobody's told me anything," Gruden said. "I don't have a concern. I'll just wait and see.
"If my key works on Monday, keep working, go attack the Miami Dolphins and plan on getting our first win next week."
Gruden signed a two-year contract extension in March 2017, putting him under contract through the 2020 season.
Running back Chris Thompson, who went from a practice-squad player when Gruden arrived to a major contributor over the last five years, became emotional when asked about his coach's job status in the locker room on Sunday.
"It's frustrating, of course," said Thompson, who paused several times while choking up.
"It's something that's tough to think about with that situation. I really care about Jay and ... It's tough, man."
