The Redskins on Thursday hired Bruce Allen, son of late Redskins Hall of Fame coach George Allen, after Vinny Cerrato abruptly resigned.
Allen maintained Jim Zorn was still the Redskins' coach.
"Give us some time to see how our relationship develops," Allen said.
Zorn's job status is believed to be tenuous, with the Redskins' record at 4-9 and three games to play.
The Redskins host the rival New York Giants on Monday night.
The Broncos fired Shanahan after last season. He won Super Bowls in 1997 and '98 during his 14 seasons as coach. But Denver failed to advance to the playoffs for the third straight year.
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It's uncertain how much leeway Allen will have in making the final call about the coach or the roster.
Neither he nor owner Dan Snyder would give details of their working agreement, but Snyder indicated that Allen will have more autonomy than some of the owner's previous front-office hires.
"Obviously, Bruce has got the authority," Snyder said. "And when he makes a decision, the club makes a decision, it's a Redskins decision. ... I've not been as involved as people may have thought. In terms of the future, obviously we're going to be counting on Bruce to help lead the way."
Zaragoza sack MarcelinoWashington Redskins hire Bruce Allen after Vinny Cerrato, VP of football operations, resigns
