It was a rather tame Black Monday in the NFL, but the most prominent victim of the league's annual pink slip brigade was Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. The 43-year-old is a two-time coach of the year (in Cleveland, I repeat), and won more playoff games in his six years in charge than the past 20 Browns coaches combined.
I have a tough time blaming Stefanski for the Browns shortcomings. He didn't trade for Deshaun Watson. He didn't draft Shedeur Sanders. He didn't hand Myles Garrett a contract extension when the star pass rusher demanded a trade. That is not to say all the above was a mistake, but showcases Stefanski isn't the one making big decisions. That would be Andrew Berry, who got to keep his job while throwing Stefanski under the bus.
Who should the Browns replace Kevin Stefanski with?
What the Browns need more than anything this coaching cycle is experience. Stefanski offered that in abundance by the time his tenure was over. Cleveland has a young quarterback and one of the best draft classes from the 2025 season. All they need is someone to lead them.
Robert Saleh
The only reason Robert Saleh isn't featured more prominently on this list is because of Aaron Rodgers. Yes, the former Jets quarterback butted heads with Saleh and it cost the then-first time head coach his job. This isn't to say Saleh's time in New York was entirely flawless – Jets fans were routinely upset with his in-game adjustments, or lack thereof – but his ability to run the room and make steady strides on the defensive side of the ball were noticed around the league. The Jets, meanwhile, haven't really been the same since.
Now with the 49ers, Saleh's name doesn't have the same buzz to it as it once did. San Francisco's defense has taken a step back at the end of the season. And Saleh, of course, is a proven commodity, unlike the first-time head coach he once was. Executives are aware of his strengths and flaws. He is no longer that shiny new toy.
If the Browns were to hire Saleh, it wouldn't be a popular choice. His success would largely depend on whatever offensive coordinator he brings with him to Cleveland in hopes of building around Shedeur or Dillon Gabriel.
Klint Kubiak
Sticking in the same division, a possible first-time head coach the Browns should certainly interview is Klint Kubiak, who is the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Kubiak's Seahawks have the No. 3 scoring offense in the NFL as of this writing, behind only the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots. Kubiak has received strong reviews from Sam Darnold, as well as Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.
The good news for Cleveland if they were to hire Kubiak is that he'd likely call plays from the jump and take on the role of developing Sanders or another young quarterback the Browns are set on from this year's draft class. Kubiak's already proven what he can do with Darnold, who's taken yet another step forward in 2025.
The downside to hiring Kubiak is a simple one: He hasn't been here before. The Browns just moved on from Stefanski, a veteran head coach who'd been in the trenches. Can they really afford to take a step back with an inexperienced hire?
Mike McCarthy
Has the game passed Mike McCarthy by? That's the question NFL teams will have to ask themselves when they interview McCarthy this cycle. At 62 years old, McCarthy would instantly become one of the most experience (and also oldest) head coaches in the NFL. He's nearly 20 years Stefanski's senior.
What McCarthy does have, however, is a proven track record at developing quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers has nothing but good things to say about McCarthy from his time in Green Bay. McCarthy won a Super Bowl with Rodgers, and helped turn him into an MVP-caliber quarterback. The same can be said of Dak Prescott, who McCarthy coached with the Dallas Cowboys.
McCarthy has 22 playoff games under his belt, as well. He's 11-11 in those games, and made some frustrating decisions in the process. Assuming he has learned from his mistakes, the Browns would be thrilled to play in even one of those games, win or lose.
Brian Flores
Flores coaches one of the NFL's top defenses in Minnesota. While the Vikings took a considerable step back as a team in 2025, it had little to do with their defense. In fact, that unit is about the only reason JJ McCarthy's sophomore season wasn't a complete and total disaster.
Flores has head coaching experience and can command a locker room. He is not afraid to take on a leadership position, and has done so just about anywhere he's been, including stops in New England, Pittsburgh, Miami and now Minnesota. That's a lot of references.
Assuming the Las Vegas Raiders fire Pete Carroll – confirmed as I was writing this! – Flores will be floated as a popular replacement there thanks to his connection to Patriots legend Tom Brady, who is a minority owner in Sin City. Flores could also decide to stay in Minnesota, a place he is beloved, and become the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL. The guy has options, and you can add the Browns to that list.
Mike McDaniel
The Browns and I aren't in agreement on this one, but they've made it known through the league's back channels that they'd be interested in Mike McDaniel were he made available. The bad news for Cleveland is that the Dolphins are unlikely to fire McDaniel, meaning the only chance they have to acquire his services would be via a trade, and that doesn't seem all that likely.
McDaniel is getting a second chance in Miami because the Dolphins are finally willing to admit defeat on Tua Tagovailoa. Some (myself) might argue that it's McDaniel's job to develop Tagovailoa, and that he was drafted in the first round specifically to be the head coach's next project. He failed spectacularly.
McDaniel remains one of the more impressive offensive minds in the NFL. Were he made available by the Dolphins, he'd have any number of takers, either as a head coach or offensive coordinator. The Browns need that spark offensively, and McDaniel could provide it with the right pieces. For now, though, it doesn't look like a realistic outcome.