Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier said he discussed his job status with his team on Tuesday because he felt it was the "elephant in the room" that he needed to address.
According to ESPN, Frazier could be out of his job as the Vikings (4-10-1) head coach once their season concludes Sunday against the Detroit Lions at home. Frazier, who is under contract until the 2014 season, may not make it to the New Year with his job despite the fact that his players have his back.
According to ESPN, running back Adrian Peterson said following the team's 42-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals that he would talk to Vikings management so that he can stay on as coach.
Frazier said he needed to address the situation but wants his players to keep it out of their minds and focus on a strong finish to the season Sunday.
"I just felt like I needed to get that addressed," Frazier said per ESPN. "Looking back at it, I probably should've dealt with it a week ago. I don't want those guys to be distracted. I want them to focus on the opponent. I felt like we got a little distracted last week, and I want to make sure we're all focused on one thing, and that's winning this game against Detroit."
ESPN reports that Frazier said "his gut" was telling him that his players were distracted by the chatter about his job status heading into the loss to the Bengals and that he made the choice to address it.
"Any time you go through a season that's been as tumultuous as what we've had, there's distractions on the outside of this building," quarterback Matt Cassel said, according to ESPN. "But I think the main point of what he was talking about today was focusing on what we needed to get done, and making sure we finish this season out strong."
The Vikings made the playoffs last year, but are 20-32-1 through the four years since Frazier took over with six games left in 2010
Frazier's option on 2014 was picked up after last season but the team didn't extend him with a long-term deal and he told ESPN that he hadn't spoken with management about his job status after Sunday.
The Vikings close out the season Sunday against the Lions, and Frazier can only hope that he'll be the coach of the Vikings the next time they take the field in 2014.
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