The Cleveland Browns are 7-26 in the last two seasons, which is exactly why Kevin Stefanski is staring down the barrel heading into a Week 18 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The result doesn't matter – heck, the Browns might be better off losing than winning for their draft position – but a victory would allow Stefanski to make one final plea to the front office and ownership to keep him around.
Stefanski's best argument to keep his job is to note that he's not the problem. When the Browns have actually given him something to work with, as in stable quarterback play and a defense he can trust, Stefanski has done what was asked of him, hence two more postseason appearances than the franchise had in the nearly two decades before he arrived.
Shedeur Sanders never stood a chance with this Browns coaching staff
When Sanders fell to Cleveland in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the fit never quite made sense. Sure, Stefanski had previous success with quarterbacks such as Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield, but the Browns already took another passer, Dillon Gabriel, prior to Sanders in that same class. What we also didn't understand at the time was how much pressure was on Stefanski and his staff to win now despite the season-ending injury to Watson.
Browns ownership, headlined by Jimmy Haslam, has never been patient. Even though Stefanski has a coach of the year award to his name and multiple postseason appearances, the Haslams are spending far too much money on the likes of Watson and Myles Garrett to win this few games in back-to-back seasons.
If Stefanski were fired, that wouldn't necessarily be good news for Sanders, either. Most coaching staffs get the opportunity to select their own QB, assuming they don't have a franchise signal-caller under contract already. Sanders has shown flashes but he is hardly that.
Kevin Stefanski can blame Shedeur Sanders for everything
It's a bit of a stretch, but it's also no secret that these two haven't exactly gotten along. After Sanders' first NFL win, Stefanski barely even mentioned the offense, let alone his rookie quarterback as a reason for said victory. The game ball went to Garrett, who surely deserved it but has many of those to his name already. Why not give Sanders something to build upon, and much-needed confidence as well?
Rather, it became more clear by the week that selecting Sanders wasn't Stefanski's idea. There were rumblings after the fact that ownership specifically asked the Browns to take Shedeur when he was still available in the fifth round. It didn't matter that they'd already settled on Gabriel, who Stefanski felt was a better fit for the Browns offense given, ya know, the depth chart for most of this season.
Despite all of his talent, there's no denying Sanders also comes with some distractions. First, he is the son of Deion Sanders, the Hall of Fame defensive back turned Colorado head coach. Both Coach Prime and Shedeur's brother Shilo are essentially social media influencers in their spare time, taking on Shedeur's development as one of their causes. Then, there's the army of fans – many of whom were not affiliated with the Browns prior to selecting Sanders – who were louder than ever when Shedeur wasn't named starting quarterback on several occasions earlier this season, even calling for Stefanski's job ahead of time.
So, how will the Browns drama end between Sanders and Stefanski?
There's no ill will between these two, but only one will survive as part of the Browns organization beyond this offseason. Cleveland, per recent reports, seems to be leaning towards getting rid of Stefanski. Per ESPN and Sports Illustrated, the Browns may even trade Stefanski, as he'd instantly become one of the top proven head coaching candidates on the open market.
That should not signal a vote of confidence in Sanders, as the rookie quarterback hasn't done enough to earn a long-term opportunity with the Browns either. Cleveland may not select a rookie quarterback in this year's class, but they certainly have the ammo to do so if they wish. No matter the outcome, Sanders numbers on the season – a 68.5 QBR, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions as of this writing – don't merit much consideration besides, perhaps, a chance to compete for the job in training camp.
Sanders played just as a fifth-round pick in Cleveland should. If the Browns believe in him, he'll get another opportunity, but a new coaching staff could do him some good.