THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ASHBURN, Va. -- Jim Zorn's future as coach of the Washington Redskins in the wake of a 1-5 slide has not been discussed by the team's hierarchy, front office chief Vinny Cerrato said Friday.

"In this building, that question has never even been brought up," Cerrato, the executive vice-president of football operations, said on his radio show on WTEM-AM. "It's never even been discussed."

Cerrato hedged, however, when asked whether Zorn would return next season. Cerrato answered "Yeah" before quickly adding again that the matter hadn't been discussed.

First-year coach Zorn's status has been the subject of widespread speculation during the free-fall that has followed a 6-2 start. The speculation has been fuelled in part by owner Dan Snyder's high turnover rate among head coaches -- he's had six in less than a decade -- and by Cerrato's refusal to address the subject despite numerous interview requests.

Cerrato broke his silence on the topic Friday, although his words are unlikely to do much to quell the rumours. He said the entire organization was frustrated by the recent losses and promised the team's best effort Sunday when the Redskins (7-7) host the Philadelphia Eagles.

"It's business as usual in this building," he said.