Browns fire Kevin Stefanski after five-win season; two-time Coach of the Year may land another job this cycle

Stefanski is responsible for two of the three playoff appearances for the 1999-and-beyond iteration of the Cleveland Browns

After six seasons and two of the only three playoff appearances for this iteration of the franchise, the Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday morning. 

Stefanski, 43, is a two-time NFL Coach of the Year and signed an extension with the team in 2024. But since then the Browns have won just eight of a possible 34 games, and the offensive-minded head coach has given up play-calling duties to two different offensive coordinators in that time.

"We appreciate all [Stefanski's hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary," managing and principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. 

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The Browns will retain general manager Andrew Berry, who will embark on a search for the next head coach that sources believe will likely yield another first-time head coach. And that man could very well have Shedeur Sanders as his Week 1 quarterback next season.

League sources believe Stefanski could get another head-coaching job this cycle. The coaching pool is not teeming with the sort of perceived talent as last year's crop. Stefanski could be a candidate with both the Titans and Giants.

The writing had been on the wall for Stefanski for months in Cleveland as it seemed like he and leadership got off the same page. He had to operate a clunky four-person quarterback competition in the summer with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders. Flacco was the clear winner and gave the team the best chance to win, but second-team reps ultimately got wasted on Pickett when he was traded before the start of the season to the Raiders for a nice fifth-round return.

Flacco started four games before Stefanski turned to Gabriel, and then the Browns made the surprising move to trade the veteran to the Bengals for a fifth-round pick. What did not help Stefanski was Flacco going from a 60.3 quarterback rating in Cleveland to 91.0 rating in Zac Taylor's offense.

In Week 10, Stefanski handed play-calling duties over to Tommy Rees, who is well liked by owner Jimmy Haslam. It was the second straight year of Stefanski making the move after doing so with Ken Dorsey in 2024 before firing him. By the end of this season, the Browns offense ranked in the bottom-three in the league in yards and points.

And then there's Sanders, who was taken in the fifth round by the team and who garnered more attention than any fifth-round rookie in recent NFL memory. He played in eight games and started in seven of them. By most metrics Sanders was the worst regular starter in the league this season.

In seven starts Sanders had 1,400 pass yards, seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions, took 23 sacks and had a quarterback rating of 68.1, the lowest among qualifying quarterbacks.

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The Browns will select in the top 10 of April's draft but will likely be out of the range for a quarterback like Fernando Mendoza. Sources say the Browns are preparing for Sanders to be their starter next season, hoping to build around the quarterback and get better results in Year 2.

What coaching candidate the Browns will be able to attract is a big question hovering over the organization. The coach will need to believe in Sanders, as well as in the front office to deliver on offensive line and receiver acquisitions. Sources have said that a coach with options may not have the Browns high on his list.

Since the Browns returned to Cleveland in 1999, the Browns will be looking for their 11th different head coach.