CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns safety Damarious Randall was benched for Sunday’s Steelers game and kept home from the trip to Pittsburgh because of a coach’s decision, the club announced Saturday afternoon.

A league source told cleveland.com that coach Freddie Kitchens made the move for something that happened during the week.

Randall, who’s started five games this season, did not participate in the early position drills that were open to the media on Friday, but he didn’t appear on the injury report.

Kitchens wears a ‘Pittsburgh Started It’ T-shirt out on Friday night

Rookie Sheldrick Redwine is a candidate to start, but the Browns can also use T.J. Carrie or Terrance Mitchell at safety. The Browns are already thin at the position. Safety Eric Murray had already been ruled out with his knee injury and starting strong safety Morgan Burnett is on injured reserve with a torn Achilles suffered in the Nov. 14 victory over the Steelers.

Safety Jermaine Whitehead was waived the day after the Broncos game on Nov. 3 for making threatening and offensive remarks on social media following the game.

Randall, meanwhile, was ejected from the 21-7 victory over the Steelers for a helmet-to-helmet hit that knocked receiver Diontae Johnson out of the game with a concussion. Randall was also fined $28,075, but is appealing.

He lamented the fact that he received death threats immediately after the ejection.

“I get so many death threats, so many people calling me names, people saying, ‘Oh, I hope you get hurt, I’m going to kill you, this and that,’’’ he told cleveland.com. “And it’s OK for fans to do it to us but then when we say something back, it’s a problem, we get in trouble. I just never understood that."

Randall says hit on Johnson wasn’t intentional

Randall was especially miffed because he’s never been flagged for a personal foul or been ejected. Was some of the vitriol from Steelers fans upset about Myles Garrett hitting Mason Rudolph in the head with Rudolph’s helmet at the end of the game?

“It shouldn’t matter,’’ Randall said. “At the end of the day, the NFL is a brotherhood; nobody goes out there to hurt anybody. We’re all in it, this is an entertainment-based business. ... The last thing I need to be doing is watching my back for fans and stuff talking crazy. I know most of them aren’t even about that life, because I done really been in that life. ... I know most of them ain’t even close to that life.

“It’s just funny to me how they blurt out and just say crazy, off the wall stuff, but just like the situation with (Whitehead). He lost his job behind something like that, but it’s OK for them to openly say stuff like that. I find that so crazy to me.’’

Randall was rattled by the sight of the injured Johnson, and apologized on Instagram after the game.

“I was shocked because I didn't know I hit him helmet-to-helmet up on the field and then I get back to the locker room and after the game I see it on social media and stuff,’’ he said. “I clearly hit him helmet-to-helmet, but I was just saying some prayers about it and that actually bothered me a little bit that he was laying there like that, because it just shows how dangerous this game is and how dangerous this game can be. Really, I just never intend to hurt anyone.’’

In other Browns news, the club has decided not to activate tight end David Njoku (wrist) for the Steelers game despite the fact that he said Friday he’s great and ready to go. Kitchens said the Browns are still working through some things with Njoku, and also complimented the play of the other tight ends.

Tight end Pharoah Brown, who missed Friday’s practice because of a personal reason, made the trip to Pittsburgh and will be available for the game.