The Cleveland Browns made headlines in the early hours of January 17 when it was revealed the club had parted ways with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, a firing that was said to upset several players.
Nevertheless, the search for Van Pelt’s replacement has begun, and according to CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones, the Browns have interviewed former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who was fired midway through the 2023 season, for the open position.
The Browns interviewed former Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey this past week for their vacant offensive coordinator position, sources say. Dorsey played quarterback for the Browns for 3 seasons and started 3 games for the team in 2008.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 21, 2024
Dorsey, who played quarterback for the Browns for three seasons in the mid-2000s, now joins Seattle Seahawks offensive line coach Andy Dickerson, who has zero experience as an offensive coordinator, as the two known names to have interviewed for the role.
Ken Dorsey Played 3 Seasons With the Browns
Despite his pedigree as the winningest quarterback in the storied history of University of Miami football and being a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2002, Dorsey fell to the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft, where he was taken with the 241st overall pick.
After three seasons with the Niners, the California native was traded to the Browns in 2006 in exchange for veteran QB Trent Dilfer. He appeared in only one game over his first two campaigns in Cleveland, attempting just a single pass, but started three games in 2008 following season-ending injuries to both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.
Dorsey went 0-3 in those starts, completing just 48.9% of his passes for 370 yards with no touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He suffered a concussion and injured ribs during his third start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, thus ending his season.
Dorsey was released after the season and never played in the NFL again, although he did spend one season with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in 2010 before announcing his retirement in May 2011.
Dorsey Took the Blame For the Buffalo Bills’ Disappointing Start to the 2023 Season
Breaking: The Bills have fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, sources told @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/UKvGeK929M
— ESPN (@espn) November 14, 2023
With his playing days behind him, Dorsey began his coaching career at the high-school level before being hired as a scout in 2011 by the Carolina Panthers, with whom he spent five years.
After a year as the assistant athletic director at Florida International University, Dorsey returned to the NFL in 2019 with the Buffalo Bills as a quarterbacks coach.
He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2022, a campaign during which the Bills ranked second in scoring (28.4 points per game) and second in total yards (397.6 yards per game), trailing only the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in both categories.
However, when the Bills took a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 10 of the 2023 season, a game in which Buffalo committed four turnovers and recorded a season-high four drops, Dorsey was relieved of his duties as someone had to take the blame for the team’s lackluster 5-5 start.
With Joe Brady stepping in as Dorsey’s replacement, the Bills won six of their last seven games to win the AFC East at 11-6.
If Dorsey were to get the offensive coordinator position with the Browns, he would have to adjust to not calling the plays as head coach Kevin Stefanski handles those duties on game days.
