The Cleveland Browns have lost their playoff opportunity, and they might be losing their head coach as well. While their HC, Kevin Stefanski, hasn’t confirmed his plans with the team, a Cleveland insider nodded to the possibility that it may be time for the Browns to part ways with the head coach.

While speaking on Tuesday’s episode of the Tony Rizzo Show, Rizzo made his stance clear on whether Kevin Stefanski should leave the Browns.

“You’ve been in situations, whether it’s a relationship, whether it’s a job, had a great thing going for a long time, but there comes a time when it just feels right to part ways. But don’t you feel like it’s time for Kevin to move on? Yes, I do,” Tony Rizzo said.

This came after Kevin Stefanski was asked about his future with the team, as there had been reports that the Browns locker room has given up on him. He did not directly address whether he expects to return next year, but said he feels “privileged to have this job” and is focusing only on the Browns’ final game of the season.

The HC has a 44-56 regular-season record in the six years Stefanski has coached the Browns. He won the NFL Coach of the Year award twice ( in 2020 and 2023) after leading the Browns to playoff appearances in those seasons. However, this season turned out to be concerning as they ended up with a 7-26 record over the past two seasons with two straight losing campaigns.

After their 13–6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, Stefanski offered a measured assessment of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. While Sanders completed 17 of 23 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown, he also threw two interceptions that cost the team valuable opportunities.

Stefanski said he’s “proud of him” while noting there are “things he can clean up,” pointing to the interceptions as areas for improvement. The comments came after a game that helped Stefanski’s job security, yet he made clear that Sanders still needs to grow as a quarterback for the Browns to be better. Just like how Stefanski had Sanders’ back, the rookie QB did the same for his Head Coach.

Shedeur Sanders stood up for Kevin Stefanski

There were many claims that the Browns’ Head Coach was purposefully “sabotaging” the Browns’ QB. But Shedeur Sanders strictly denied these harsh claims. While speaking at a press conference in Week 12 after the win against the Las Vegas Raiders, the rookie QB praised Kevin Stefanski and thanked him for being one of the key reasons behind his winning efforts (209 passing yards and 1 touchdown) in his first game as a starter.

“I’m just happy to be here. Coach Stefanski has been coaching since I got here, and he’s been doing a great job with everything that’s going on,” Sanders said, as reported by Fox News.

This came after some Browns fans and online commentators were accusing head coach Kevin Stefanski of holding Sanders back on purpose. The claims said Stefanski delayed giving Sanders a real chance to play, limited his practice reps, or put him in bad situations that could hurt his confidence. Supporters who believed in the theory argued the coaching staff wasn’t setting him up to succeed and even called for Stefanski to be fired. However, there was no proof from inside the team to support these claims, and they were driven mostly by fan speculation and social-media discussion.

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