In week 18, The Browns season came to an end with a win over the Bengals, giving Cleveland a 5-12 record and placing them at the bottom of the AFC North. Here are my thoughts.
The Browns were quite hard to watch this season. It was especially tough because everyone in the league feared our defense. They knew that we had one of the top defensive units in the entire game. Yet, no team was actually scared to play us.
This is the Browns-fan experience, and has been my experience basically my whole life. Us fans, those who watch games, who know the players, and know the team, believe that this team has potential. We have stars, studs, and rising talent. But to the rest of the league, and to the rest of the world, we are just the Cleveland Browns, and we will always just be the Cleveland Browns.
We can draft new players, trade for superstars, fire and hire coaches and coordinators, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are still the Cleveland Browns. At some point, this has to change. The city deserves better.
And the front office decided recently that this change begins with firing Kevin Stefanski. Personally, I do not agree with this decision. I simply don’t believe Stefanski is the issue. Here’s why:
In his six years coaching the Browns, Stefanski led Cleveland to two playoff appearances… our first postseason berths since 2002! That’s almost two decades. And Stefanski ended that drought in his first season. Stefanski also won the Coach of the Year award twice. He may have ended with a losing playoff record (1-2), but he managed to win a playoff game! Sure, he was off the field due to COVID, but it was still his team that won.
And, if not for a horrendous missed personal foul call in the 2020 Divisional Round, Stefanski’s Browns would have beaten the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs. We were that close. Stefanski was that close.
Meanwhile, through all of this, General Manager Andrew Berry and the front office released Baker Mayfield, who has since blossomed into a true star on the Buccaneers, and spent a fortune in money and draft picks to acquire Deshaun Watson in probably the worst trade in NFL history. Stefanski lost his star QB in Mayfield, got Watson who then got injured, and still managed to make the playoffs a second time with an elderly Joe Flacco at the helm.
However, the last two seasons have been truly awful. So I understand the decision to let him go. Still, he’s a talented coach that I’m sure will move to a team like the Dolphins and lead them immediately to the playoffs. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Stefanski in the Super Bowl one day in the near future.
Now, the search for a new coach begins. All things considered, it would appear to be an attractive job. We have a top 5 defense with studs like new all-time sack leader Myles Garrett and rookie standout Carson Schwesinger. We have a pretty solid offensive line with a young star-in-the-making leading the running backfield, as well as a promising question mark at quarterback. Shedeur Sanders is probably the most attractive part of the coaching position. Any coach would love to have the chance to mentor and grow a young QB like Sanders, especially considering the family legacy he comes from and the immense hopes surrounding his future.
For most of the 2000s and the 2010s, Browns fans have endured much hardship and suffering. The past six years, 2020-2025, I think we’ve glimpsed what is possible for our future. We witnessed our team, yes, the Cleveland Browns, win a playoff game. We’ve witnessed our best player break an all-time, historic record. We saw our number one draft pick, Baker Mayfield, develop into a star, even though he’s no longer on our team. Who knows, maybe Shedeur could be the next Baker.
What I’m saying is, maybe this is the new turnaround. New coach, New, up-and-coming QB. A couple of rookie studs in Harold Fannin and Schwesinger heading into year two. And, a top draft pick this year to, hopefully, improve our offensive firepower.
After back-to-back losing seasons, both of which were kind of depressing, many would want to hang their heads and prepare for another year of despair. Knowing the Browns, that is an entirely possible outcome. However, I think there is real reason for hope. It all starts with finding our next coach. Who will lead the Browns onto the battlefield in 2026?
The journey starts now.
