BEREA, Ohio — The Kevin Stefanski era in Cleveland is officially over.
Less than two years after winning his second NFL Coach of the Year award, Stefanski was relieved of his duties Monday morning, becoming the first casualty of “Black Monday” 2026. The move comes on the heels of a disastrous 5-12 campaign that saw the Browns finish dead last in the AFC North for the second consecutive year.
Owner Jimmy Haslam didn’t mince words in a statement released shortly after the news broke.
“We thank Kevin for his hard work and the stability he brought to our franchise. However, the results over the last two seasons have not met our standard. We believe a fresh voice is needed to maximize the talent on this roster and take the next step toward a championship.”
Stefanski’s tenure was a rollercoaster. He walked into a broken franchise in 2020 and immediately delivered an 11-5 season and a playoff win over the rival Steelers—Cleveland’s first postseason victory in a quarter-century. He replicated that magic in 2023, dragging a battered roster to the playoffs with Joe Flacco at the helm.
But the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” business. Since that 2023 playoff run, the Browns have gone 13-21. The offense, Stefanski’s specialty, stagnated badly in 2025, ranking near the bottom of the league in red-zone efficiency and points per game.
While Stefanski is out, the focus shifts immediately to the most polarizing player in the building: Shedeur Sanders.
Drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 Draft, Sanders took over the starting job late in the season, showing flashes of brilliance in a 3-4 stretch run. Social media is already ablaze with speculation that the next head coach will be hand-picked to fit Sanders’ style of play. A viral tweet from BetMGM showed a meme of Sanders “walking into the facility” post-firing, capturing the sentiment that this is now his team.
Browns part ways with head coach Kevin Stefanski. pic.twitter.com/cvX1wYZTwz
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2026
The firing signals a full pivot. The “Deshaun Watson experiment” is firmly in the rearview mirror, and the franchise is betting everything on a new coach unlocking Sanders’ potential.
General Manager Andrew Berry remains safe—for now. He faces immense pressure to get this hire right. The job is attractive: Cleveland has a top-10 draft pick, a young quarterback on a rookie deal, and a defense that, while underperforming in 2025, still boasts Myles Garrett in his prime.
Potential Candidates to Watch:
For Stefanski, the unemployment line won’t last long. His resume as an offensive mind and two-time COTY winner makes him a prime candidate for offensive coordinator jobs or even another head coaching gig elsewhere.
But in Cleveland, the patience ran out.
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