After a 3-14 collapse and quarterback uncertainty, Cleveland’s head coach remains safe for now
Kevin Stefanski should, by most accounts, be coaching for his job this fall. The Cleveland Browns limped to a 3-14 record last season, their worst under his leadership, and entered the offseason surrounded by questions about the direction of the franchise.
Yet in a surprising twist, ownership appears more committed to stability than to another shake-up, even if the fan base is far less convinced.
Jimmy Haslam, long known for quick and sometimes erratic decisions, publicly backed Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry in the aftermath of last season’s collapse.
“We’re very supportive of Kevin and Andrew,” Haslam said earlier this summer, while acknowledging that he and his wife, Dee, share responsibility for the team’s struggles.
The statement stood in stark contrast to the speculation swirling around Berea. National analysts projected Stefanski as one of the NFL coaches most at risk of losing his job in 2025, with Jaime Eisner of The Draft Network ranking him fourth on the list and Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton describing his status as “blazing hot.”
But insiders insist that Stefanski’s seat is not nearly as unstable as outside voices suggest.
On The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima, Carman made clear just how much rope he believes the head coach still has.
“It has to be complete disaster, fist fight, locker room, loss after loss after loss for us to get rid of Kevin Stefanski during the season,” he said, adding that only a “Jadeveon Clowney situation every single week” could push the organization to act.
That distinction highlights the divide between ownership and the public. While Haslam has urged patience, fans have grown restless.
Season ticket sales have slipped, and for the first time since Hue Jackson’s tenure, the Browns are struggling to sell out home games.
“It’s the first time I can remember not being sold out,” Carman remarked. “I’ve never seen that.”
The frustration stems less from Stefanski’s personality, he has been candid in taking responsibility for failure and more from the team’s lack of clarity at quarterback.
“There’s frustration from myself, I’m sure our fans. I share in that frustration,” Stefanski admitted after the 2024 campaign. “Extremely disappointed in where this season went.”
That tone of accountability is believed to have impressed ownership, and it may explain why the Browns are resisting calls for change.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com also pushed back against hot-seat chatter, saying, “I don’t think Jimmy Haslam is going to hold Kevin Stefanski or Andrew Berry’s feet to the fire this year.”
The quarterback gamble
The Browns’ offseason revolved around two priorities: securing Myles Garrett’s long-term future and retooling the quarterback room. The first was straightforward, with the All-Pro defensive end signing a $123 million extension. The second has been far more complicated.
Cleveland stocked its roster with four options: veteran Joe Flacco, rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, and former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. Flacco, despite being benched by the Colts last season, has been named the Week 1 starter against Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
“Obviously there’s value in experience,” Stefanski said. “He’s gotten all of the work since then with those ones to sharpen up his game and get comfortable with the guys around him.”
Behind Flacco, Gabriel has emerged as the backup, praised by Stefanski as “the kind of quarterback who can efficiently run what we want to do.” Sanders, though highly touted, remains more of a developmental project.
This layered approach reflects Cleveland’s uncertainty. The Browns are keeping their draft options open for 2026, with top prospects like Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier, and Cade Klubnik already linked to the franchise.
What’s next for Stefanski
For now, Stefanski has the one thing most NFL coaches on a losing streak don’t: the public support of ownership. His willingness to shoulder blame contrasts sharply with Hue Jackson, who was dismissed in 2018 after consecutive seasons of historic futility and a refusal to accept responsibility.
But support from the top doesn’t guarantee job security forever. If Flacco falters and the rookies fail to inspire confidence, the anger already building among fans could become impossible to ignore. A half-empty stadium in Cleveland has always been the clearest signal that change is coming.
Stefanski’s margin for error is slim. Haslam’s patience may buy him time to stabilize the Browns, but the clock is ticking, and the quarterback carousel could determine not just this season’s outcome but whether Cleveland finally breaks free of its endless cycle of frustration.
