5 Browns Leaving Cleveland in the New Year

5. HC Kevin Stefanski

It's hard to argue that Stefanski did a poor job as the head coach. Until this season, he has had two 11-win seasons in four years and had won at least seven games every year. He has won the Coach of the Year twice and led the Browns to their first postseason victory in over two decades. The contract extension he got before the 2024 season was well-deserved.

At the same time, he deserves some blame for the struggles this season. He has to deal with poor leadership and management but he hasn't kept his end of the bargain to blame the ownership here. The playcalling, certain in-game decisions, and roster management all have been questionable.

Stefanski had playcalling duties on offense until he relinquished them to OC Ken Dorsey mid-season. Throughout his five-year tenure in Cleveland, Stefanski never led the team higher than the tenth-ranked offense. This season, they were the 31st-ranked offensive unit. The quarterback saga certainly played a part in that but this team has better talent than the second-worst offense in the league.

They left plenty on the table on the defensive end as well. Three seasons out of the five, the Browns had a below-average defense. The team struggled to maintain defensive consistency despite having elite talent at times. The playoff defense against the Texans in 2023 was a complete disaster.

Stefanski probably deserves to start the season in charge in 2025. If the Browns start poorly, however, he will be gone. Considering where they are as a franchise right now, with no quarterback and financial flexibility, it's hard to see how they don't start poorly. A mid-season firing for Stefanski may be the most likely outcome.

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