Browns Insider Confirms Kevin Stefanski’s Future After Cleveland Loses Faith on Shedeur Sanders & Co.

This offseason, Jimmy Haslam has contradicted his own ‘willy-nilly’ reputation. He appears to have decided to have faith after all. Otherwise, after a 3-14 record, many expected Kevin Stefanski to have been long gone. But this time, Haslam said, “We’re very supportive of Kevin and Andrew,” while also noting that he and his wife, Dee Haslam, need to do better. Yet, the whispers still put Stefanski in a hot seat. In fact, Jaime Eisner of The Draft Network projected him as the fourth most likely head coach to be fired in 2025. Moe Moton of Bleacher Report even called Stefanski on a “blazing hot” seat. But the insiders know better. 

“I think the Haslams would look at this go, ‘Hey, I don’t know what it’s going to be this year,’” said Ken Carman in the latest edition of The Ken Carman Show, hosting Anthony Lima. “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.” The only break-up Carman believes can happen between Stefanski and Haslams is the one mirroring Jadeveon Clowney’s. Remember January 2023? The former Browns linebacker was literally sent home by the organization after criticizing them openly. Later on, the saga was named “anti-climactic.” 

“It has to be a Jadevian Clowny situation every single week in the locker room,” Carman added. In his opinion, the last thing they want right now is an interim coach. When Haslams fired Hue Jackson following a 1-15, 0-16, and 2-5-1 record, everyone knew it was 2018 that Jackson was on the hot seat. Then, after a three-game losing streak again, he was fired. Jimmy bluntly said Jackson “never accepted blame” despite having two historically brutal records. But that’s not the case with Stefanski. 

“There’s frustration from myself, I’m sure our fans. I share in that frustration. Extremely disappointed in where this season went,” he said after the 2024 demise. Perhaps that’s what impressed Stefanski. Even Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com dismissed the whispers of Stefanski being on the hot seat in 2025. “I don’t think Jimmy Haslam is going to hold Kevin Stefanski or Andrew Berry’s feet to the fire this year,” she said on The Ken Carman Show. Why? Because the biggest crisis in Cleveland isn’t the head coach, but the quarterback. 

Regardless, there’s a bigger concern for the Browns at the moment. It appears fans aren’t too thrilled about the direction Stefanski intends to take the team. “It’s the first time I can remember not being sold out. I’ve never seen that,” remarked Liam. The last time it happened was the ‘lean years’ of 2016, 2017, aka Jackson’s era. So, Haslams might be okay with the way Stefanski and Berry are handling things, but fans certainly have lost hope. 

The starter of the opening week against Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals is Joe Flacco, the veteran benched by the Colts last season after declining performance. So, instead of getting disappointed at the stadiums, fans have decided to stay home and check the score every once in a while. 

Browns quarterback saga

After a 3-14 record in 2024 (the worst under Kevin Stefanski), the Browns had only two concerns this offseason. First, retaining Myles Garrett and then the quarterback room. The first task was easy; all it needed was money, which the future Hall of Famer got in a $123 million. But the second was tricky, requiring binoculars. Still, Stefanski and Andrew Berry brought in not one, but four quarterbacks: all fancy ones. Flacco, Shedeur Sanders, Dillion Gabriel, and Kenny Pickett. For the starting role, Stefanski picked Flacco because “obviously there’s value in experience.” 

“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,” the head coach said, explaining why Flacco’s the best Browns got at the moment. Now, we are talking about the team with two very promising rookies: Gabriel and Sanders. Though Gabriel is said to be “the kind of quarterback who can efficiently run what he wants to do,” in Stefanski’s opinion, Sanders is believed to be a work in progress. That’s why, behind Flacco, it’s Gabriel listed as backup. 

The Browns filled their QB room this offseason, only to be on the safe side. Between Gabriel and Sanders, if one fails to live up to standards, the team is said to browse the draft more closely. Luckily, they have their first round picks and those acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ trade for 2026. Besides Arch Manning (potentially), the team has also been linked to Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik.