Mike Shanahan Storms Out Of Press Conference After Questionable Decision Leads To Loss

Mike Shanahan may be trying to lose his way into getting fired from the Washington Redskins, but the coach isn’t in the mood to talk about it.

After Shanahan decided to go for a two-point conversion rather than the potential game-tying extra point when his team scored with less than a minute to play, Shanahan entered a press conference facing questions about his job security. Reports have circulated that Shanahan has been trying to get fired, though Redskins owner Daniel Snyder isn’t playing along with the plan.

In the press conference after the 3-11 Redskins lost to the Atlanta Falcons, Mike Shanahan faced some tough questions about his future with the team. After refusing to answer one question on the topic, Shanahan was asked what he is doing to stop the reports about his job status.

That was the last straw for Shanahan, who got up and walked out without saying another word.

The loss and the controversial ending came after a difficult week for Mike Shanahan. He made a much criticized decision to bench last year’s No. 2 pick Robert Griffin III and start Kirk Cousins instead.

“I mean, you know it’s baloney,” former Raiders coach John Madden said on Sirius XM Radio, via ESPN.com. “I like Mike Shanahan, and I’m not talking behind his back, but when you say something like that, you know that’s not right –you’re not going to sacrifice regular-season games. There’s only 16 of them a year. You’re not going to sacrifice regular-season games for an offseason program.”

The decision struck many as an attempt by Shanahan to get himself fired, and reports from inside the organization said that’s exactly what he was trying to do.

This plan apparently isn’t going over well Snyder, who has not interest in paying the $13 million it would take buy out the staff, reported Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

Mike Shanahan defended his decision to bench Griffin, but after Sunday’s controversial two-point conversion decision and press conference walkout, his days may be numbered.