Cleveland Browns dysfunction – There’s a reason this phrase has evolved into a distinct subgenre of football commentary. Because you don’t stumble your way into decades of QB disasters, early firings, and first-round picks who end up as footnotes, that requires serious dedication. Like, trading Baker Mayfield for scraps after he ended their playoff drought. And for what? To sign Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Now the Browns have 4 QBs but not that many players to pass the ball to. Safe to say: the Browns don’t rebuild, they reload the chaos.

And we thought Kevin Stefanski was the adult in the room. Because why not? The guy broke Cleveland’s playoff curse in 2020 and did it again in 2023 with Joe Flacco. The PFF ranked him No. 10 in the best returning coach category in 2025. Still, the Browns seem to be spiraling back to their regular routine of causing blunders. And this time, even Stefanski’s getting cooked.

Tyvis Powell, the former safety for the Browns, on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show, suggested that Kevin Stefanski blew a quarterback’s chances. And he said it loud enough for Shedeur Sanders to hear it in Boulder. “DTR is a 5th-round quarterback. What did you expect out of this 5th-round quarterback?” Powell asked in disbelief. “Like, of course, he wasn’t gonna look good. It’s not the fact that DTR was a 5th-round pick, it was the preparation to get in that 5th-round pick to play.” In other words, Stefanski didn’t just throw Dorian Thompson-Robinson into the fire, he forgot to tell him there was a fire. And Powell spoke with experience. He brought out receipts from his own NFL days to prove his point.

“I played with CJ Beathard. I played with Nick Mullens, and…these guys weren’t drafted as high. Jimmy Garoppolo was a starting quarterback. Jimmy goes down, CJ goes in, they still are able to win games…It’s crazy to me that y’all to sit there and say. Because the guy was drafted in the 5th round, like that’s an excuse. That’s a legitimate excuse to why that offense just looked terrible.” He added that the Browns literally traded away guys to make room for DTR, only to sabotage him with poor prep and radio silence until game day. Powell’s verdict? “That’s terrible coaching to me.”

DTR, the dual-threat powerhouse who set records at UCLA, was abruptly sent to Philadelphia in March. In response, the Eagles sent over Kenny Pickett, and the Browns quietly moved on. For two seasons, DTR started five games, rushing for 187 yards and passing for 880 yards. Sure, the numbers weren’t eye-popping, but the guy had flashes. More significantly, he possessed qualities Kevin Stefanski was never able to utilise fully. Powell’s rant was more impactful because it wasn’t directed at DTR. It was a jab at how his head coach never gave him a chance. But what does any of this have to do with Shedeur Sanders?

Kevin Stefanski’s script already has Shedeur Sanders on the sideline

It has everything to do with Sanders. Former NFL wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh stated clearly on the NightCap podcast that Stefanski has already decided Sanders’ destiny before the guy had ever had a chance. “I was told by somebody that’s in the building, that ain’t a player, it’s really coming down to Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel,” TJ said. Now you see the similarities? The Browns took Shedeur in the sixth round. Even though their QB room was jam-packed. And if Stefanski’s handling of DTR is the template, Shedeur might be looking at clipboard duty.

Jay Crawford also echoed the sentiment. He claimed that Stefanski already told us his preference, the way he drafted the QBs. “The first guy they brought in was Kenny Pickett. And then they backfilled with Joe Flacco. When they were in the draft and they had a chance to bring in a quarterback, the first guy they went with was Dillon Gabriel. And they backfilled with Shedeur Sanders.” That’s the QB hierarchy in Cleveland right now. And Sanders is #QB4.

So here we are again. The Browns’ quarterback carousel is spinning at full speed. Shedeur Sanders hasn’t played a single NFL snap, but based on history, alumni voices, and Stefanski’s recent patterns, the forecast is already looking painfully familiar.