Mike Pettine expected to be fired Sunday night

ByABC News
January 3, 2016, 6:28 PM

— -- Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine is expected to be fired during a meeting Sunday night with team owner Jimmy Haslam, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Pettine, who went 3-13 this season, and Haslam are scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, sources told Schefter.

Multiple sources also told ESPN general manager Ray Farmer also will not return. The news was first reported by the NFL Network.

Pettine was asked after Sunday's season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers what he thought he needed to say to Haslam in order to keep his job.

"I'm not into pleading," he said. "How we attack work every day, the players. That to me is the resume -- how hard the guys play, the effort that goes in, how hard we practice, what we do in meeting time, walkthrough, out on the practice field, how that carries over to the game field.

"I feel like we've done a lot of good things, but I'm the first one to tell you -- you've heard me say it a million times -- this is a pass/fail league, and the results aren't there. Nobody wants to hear it takes time. Nobody wants to hear it's a process, but that's the situation that we're in."

The Browns have gone 10-22 in two seasons under Pettine.

Firing Pettine might cost the Browns their best player. Left tackle Joe Thomas left open the possibility that he may want to leave Cleveland in light of this change, saying the results of the change will determine what he does.

Thomas, who has been to nine Pro Bowls in his nine seasons, said each change gets tougher and he now is growing more aware of his "football mortality."

This was the first time Thomas went away from saying he wanted to play in Cleveland his entire career.

"I don't know," Thomas said. "We'll have to see what happens after this."

Thomas has three years left on his contract, but could ask for a trade if he wants to leave. He also spoke highly of Pettine.

"I think he's a good coach," Thomas said. "I think he's one of the best ones we've had."

ESPN Browns reporter Pat McManamon contributed to this report.