With Kevin Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland looking increasingly shaky, a new report suggests Browns owner Jimmy Haslam might have his eyes on a legendary replacement—and a unique contract clause could make a move for Bill Belichick more feasible than ever. The coaching carousel may have stopped for the legend, but for struggling teams like the Cleveland Browns, the ride might just be starting.

On Thursday, NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that someone around the league indicated two teams have at least expressed early, informal interest in speaking with Belichick. No offers. No negotiations. Just exploratory conversations. Anderson suggested the Cleveland Browns as one of those teams, with the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants also mentioned as possibilities.

“My understanding is Belichick has upper-level personnel still fond of him in Atlanta, New York, Cleveland, whilst all struggling teams going through customary evaluations this time of year,” the insider reported.

And this is where Cleveland starts to feel relevant. With Kevin Stefanski’s future increasingly uncertain, the Browns seem firmly in the mix. Under Stefanski, Cleveland has won just six of its last 31 games. On top of that, the development of rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders has gone nowhere. And with another losing season officially locked in, Stefanski has once again landed on the hot seat.

Naturally, that raises the bigger question: If Jimmy Haslam’s Browns really have shown interest, would Belichick actually choose Cleveland over UNC? That’s where things get complicated. Belichick’s UNC deal is worth $50 million over five years, with the first three seasons guaranteed. At the time of his hiring, the contract included a $10 million buyout clause. That number, however, dropped sharply to just $1 million after June 1, 2025.

When those contract details became public, many people interpreted it as Belichick quietly leaving the door open for an NFL return if the right situation arose. And for a moment, that theory seemed to gain traction. After the Giants fired Brian Daboll midseason, Belichick was quickly linked to New York. That speculation, though, didn’t last long.

Soon after, Belichick shut it down himself.

“Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not wavered,” Belichick wrote in a statement. “have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud.”

A little over a month ago, Bill Belichick made his stance pretty clear. The former New England Patriots coach said he wasn’t pursuing NFL jobs and that his focus was fully on Chapel Hill. But with just three weeks left in the regular season, that clarity has started to blur. And his name is once again popping up in head-coaching chatter around the league.

So yes, teams doing their homework on Belichick isn’t surprising. And if the Browns are one of them, as Anderson suggested, that aligns with their current standing in Cleveland. But ultimately, this decision hinges on one person. For now, Belichick appears locked in at UNC. And as for the Browns and Stefanski, the uncertainty there feels very real and unresolved.

Kevin Stefanski might get marching orders soon

Following the Browns’ 31–3 Week 15 loss to the Chicago Bears, The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd reported that, with just three games left in the regular season, those could very well be the final three games of Kevin Stefanski’s tenure in Cleveland. And that idea didn’t come out of nowhere. The Browns are sitting at 3–11, and this collapse wasn’t sudden. It’s been building for years.

Think of the Deshaun Watson trade, the messy handling of a four-way quarterback room during the 2025 offseason, the failure to develop two rookie quarterbacks, and even reports of favoritism toward Gabriel over Sanders. Everything has added up. Fast forward to now, and the results are hard to ignore.

The past couple of weeks serve as a clear example: even after Stefanski gave up play-calling duties, his decision-making has remained under the microscope. In Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans, Sanders threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns, going 23-of-42 and leading back-to-back touchdown drives late in the fourth quarter.

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Cleveland had a real shot to force overtime. Instead, Stefanski pulled Sanders in the biggest moment. And Cleveland failed on the two-point attempt, and Tennessee escaped with a 31–29 win. Week 15 against Chicago somehow felt worse. Cleveland allowed a 52-yard kick return on the opening kickoff.

That was followed by a false start. Then came the play that almost perfectly captured the season: the Browns lined up with 12 men on offense, with receiver Harold Fannin awkwardly jogging toward the sideline in a failed attempt to avoid the penalty. Add in the miscommunication between Stefanski and Sanders caused by the wrong wristband, and it all pointed back to the same issue: Poor management at the top.

So when Lloyd suggested that Haslam and the Browns could be nearing the end of the Stefanski era, it’s easy to see why. Whether that actually happens is still up in the air. The bigger question now is what Cleveland wants next: a clean break, or another year with Stefanski tasked with guiding yet another rookie quarterback if the Browns go that route in the draft.