ESPN’s Mike Sando is reporting that the Redskins have decided to allow head coach Jim Zorn to finish out the rest of the year in Washington, but have stopped short of guaranteeing anything else.

Washington has been nothing short of disappointing this season, especially on offense, losing games against much weaker opponents, despite having spent significant amounts of money in the off-season to upgrade key positions on both sides of the ball. As a result, Zorn has been widely criticized by the media and the Redskins brass, with owner Dan Snyder and GM Vinny Cerrato stripping him of his playcalling duties last week, after losing at home to the previously winless Kansas City Chiefs.

The move to keep Zorn in the fold isn’t all that surprising, considering Snyder’s next choice for head coach is likely one of several famous former head coaches that are no longer coaching, including Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, and Mike Shanahan. None of those coaches have any desire to step in midstream, but they could be interested in taking over at the end of the season, giving Snyder and Cerrato more than enough reason to have Zorn stick around as a lame duck.

Either way, the Redskins are finished as a contender this season, and will likely go through the motions to get paid but a big push by the players to keep Zorn longer than this season isn’t something I’d count on seeing anytime soon.

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3. Discussion: Hot seat coaches beginning to take shape
4. Cowher, Redskins not a good match