ClutchPoints
The Cleveland Browns are once again in a spot that feels uncomfortably familiar for a franchise that has spent decades searching for sustained stability. Kevin Stefanski delivered moments of genuine progress, even brilliance. However, the results ultimately flattened out. With ownership and the front office choosing to reset after another disappointing finish, the Browns’ next head coach won’t just inherit a roster. He’ll inherit urgency and a defensive superstar in the middle of his prime. This hire is about alignment and finally capitalizing on a rare window.
The Browns finished the 2025 NFL season at 5-12, which reflected both the promise and the dysfunction that defined their year. Entering the season, Cleveland believed it had enough defensive firepower to stay competitive while the offense pieced things together. Instead, offensive inconsistency became routine, and close games tilted the wrong way far too often. Despite fielding one of the league’s most disruptive defenses, the Browns’ inability to sustain drives or protect leads ultimately doomed them. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14, weeks before meaningful football was supposed to end.
The frustration boiled over quickly. Long stretches of offensive stagnation overshadowed strong defensive outings. It put additional strain on a unit that was already carrying more than its fair share. By season’s end, the Haslam family and general manager Andrew Berry decided the status quo wasn’t enough. Stefanski was dismissed shortly after the finale. It signaled that Cleveland is no longer satisfied with ‘competitive.’ They want contention.
If there was one reason Browns fans kept tuning in, it was Myles Garrett. Garrett delivered one of the greatest defensive seasons in NFL history. He punctuating it with a record-breaking 23rd sack in Week 18 to set a new single-season mark. He finished the year as a dominant force week after week. Garrett earned his seventh Pro Bowl selection and reminded the league why he’s the centerpiece of Cleveland’s identity.
The Browns closed their season with a dramatic 20–18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, capped by a walk-off field goal. It was a feel-good ending. That said, it was also a stark reminder of what might have been if the offense had matched the defense’s consistency. Garrett is in his prime. The Browns’ next coach must maximize it now.
Stefanski leaves Cleveland with a complicated legacy. He was a two-time Coach of the Year, leading the Browns to 11-win seasons in 2020 and 2023. He guided the franchise to its first playoff appearance in 18 years and its first postseason win in 23. Despite that, football is unforgiving. Cleveland went 3–14 and 5–12 over the last two seasons, and progress stalled. Ownership and the front office decided continuity without results wasn’t enough.
The next hire must strike a delicate balance: respecting what Stefanski built while decisively moving the franchise forward.
Klint Kubiak checks many of the boxes Cleveland traditionally...
