Kevin Stefanski

Browns Not Planning HC, GM Changes; Team Aiming To Add Deshaun Watson Competition

November 26th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals and Titans’ decisions during and after the 2022 season reveal how quickly organizations’ big-picture plans can change. After signing lengthy offseason extensions, Steve Keim and Jon Robinson were out of jobs by January 2023. The Browns’ historic Deshaun Watson misstep would naturally point to consideration into bailing on the extensions given to Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski.

A Browns ownership group known for quick-trigger decisions for a long time finally found a coach-GM pair it deemed worthy of extending. Prior to Stefanski’s arrival, no Browns HC had lasted longer than 40 games; the coach who did persist for that long (Hue Jackson) went 3-36-1. Under the Haslams’ leadership, no GM had lasted longer than two full seasons (John Dorsey). Berry changed that as well. As it stands, the current Cleveland football-ops bosses are on track to extend those tenures.

Although both Browns power brokers were believed to be aligned on the 2022 Watson trade, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the Haslams are not planning to make GM or HC changes in 2025. Browns ownership has been pleased with the way the duo has kept the team unified, even as this year’s squad has fallen well short of expectations after a 2023 playoff berth and the Browns entering the season with an NFL-most 12 players signed to eight-figure-per-year contracts.

Despite Watson’s poor play appearing to seal the 2022 trade’s place as the worst in NFL history (when finances are considered), the staffers tasked with making it work will be given a chance to rebound — likely with a new starting quarterback. Jimmy Haslam said soon after the trade Berry hatched the plan to fully guarantee the $230MM contract to move the Browns back in the race — after Watson had eliminated Cleveland from consideration in an otherwise-NFC South-based sweepstakes — so it would stand to reason his seat could be hotter than Stefanski’s given the latter’s accolades. Right now, though, neither’s seat appears too warm.

Cleveland’s Jameis Winston-led victory in a snowstorm moved the team to 3-8. This year’s Browns are on pace to check in with a worse record than they did under Freddie Kitchens (6-10). That season keyed Dorsey’s ouster, but it appears the Haslams will be uncharacteristically patient despite the Watson trade set to plague the Browns for at least two more years. The capital Stefanski and Berry have built through playoff berths in 2020 and ’23, both seasons producing Stefanski Coach of the Year nods, looks to be enough for the tandem to survive the historic QB mistake.

On the Watson front, Breer adds the Browns are likely to keep him around — if only because of the unfathomable dead money a 2025 release would bring — but add competition. Rather than bring in a backup as the team has done for three straight years (Jacoby Brissett, Dorian Thompson-Robinson/Joe Flacco, Winston), the Browns are expected to set their sights on a starter-caliber arm who can compete with Watson. Given Watson’s poor performance and Achilles tear, it probably should be expected the Browns will shop for a new starter soon.

This player may well need to be a draft choice, due to Watson’s contract — now featuring two $72.9MM cap numbers thanks to two Berry-authorized restructures — running through 2026. But Breer adds the Browns are likely to gauge the veteran market as well.

Stefanski and Berry stopped short of saying Watson will be expected to start again in 2025, though each factored the struggling QB’s injury rehab into the equation. Watson, however, saw his season end after a string of woeful performances, which brought questions to Stefanski about whether ownership was making him start the disappointing QB. It would cost the Browns $172MM to release Watson next year; even in a post-June 1 scenario, either half of the two-offseason dead money bill would break the record the Broncos recently shattered with their Russell Wilson release ($83MM-plus).

As the Browns prepare to pursue a potential new starter, Watson may be set for another season in limbo. After he requested a Texans trade only to see a slew of sexual assault/misconduct allegations surface, Houston made the former Pro Bowler a healthy scratch throughout the 2021 season. The Browns could slow-play Watson’s rehab by stashing him on the reserve/PUP list to start next season, but eventually a call to bench the sunk-cost passer will need to be made.

A post-June 1 cut scenario now looks more likely to involve 2026. Unless another restructure again knocks down Watson’s cap hit — which is quite possible considering no team has ever carried a $50MM-plus cap number on a payroll in-season — it would cost the Browns $99.8MM to dump Watson in 2026.

It is far from certain Berry and Stefanski will be making the decisions by then, an ownership duo famous for impulsive moves during its first several years in charge is not ready to pull the plug on what had been a successful regime (well, absent a quarterback move that has otherwise defined its run).

Andrew Berry: Browns Brass Was Aligned On 2022 Deshaun Watson Trade

November 6th, 2024 at 10:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Browns sink to the AFC North basement following the offseason extensions for Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski, assigning blame for the Deshaun Watson decisions will come up as the organization moves forward.

Jimmy Haslam came out and said his GM hatched the plan to propose Watson the fully guaranteed $230MM. That contract call prompted the quarterback to waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland after he had previously eliminated the team from consideration. Two-plus years after Haslam’s comments, Berry said the organization was in agreement on the move.

Asked if ownership mandated the Watson trade cross the goal line two years ago, Berry said (via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi) “All of us were on board.” This aligns with a recent report indicating Stefanski was in agreement with Berry about the trade, one that led Baker Mayfield to Charlotte and ultimately has the Browns in a historic predicament.

Watson’s Achilles tear prevented Stefanski from making the decision to bench the high-priced starter, as the fifth-year Browns HC had repeatedly said the embattled QB gave the team the best chance to win. Watson ranks last in QBR. When asked if a healthy Watson would play for the Browns again, Berry said (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot), “It’s always possible.” Stefanski had declined to confirm, due largely to Watson’s health, the QB would be his 2025 starter.

Berry, who was hired two weeks after Stefanski in 2020, said the two-time Coach of the Year is “part of the solution,” via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling. If ownership is to move on despite signing Berry and Stefanski to extensions (of unknown length), it would be unexpected that one would stay and the other would go. So, Berry’s endorsement may not carry too much weight here. At 2-7 and with Watson’s guarantees running through 2026, the Browns’ power duo should certainly not be considered locks to return in 2025.

The Browns outflanked the Falcons to land Watson, whom the Panthers and Saints also pursued as finalists three offseasons ago. All teams had agreed on trade terms with the Texans, who collected a historic haul for the Pro Bowl QB. Berry has seen his ability to build a roster around Watson take a hit due to the Browns not having a first-round pick since the trade. The Browns became the first team since the 1976 49ers (Jim Plunkett) to trade three first-rounders for a veteran QB; to say the deal has backfired would be a mild assessment of the situation.

Watson has not fit in Stefanski’s offense, with his play further declining despite the Browns booting OC Alex Van Pelt for Ken Dorsey this year. Dorsey is now calling the plays in Cleveland, with Stefanski stepping back for the first time in his tenure, but Jameis Winston — a Watson-backed QB addition — is at the controls. When asked if he regrets not bringing back Joe Flacco, who said repeatedly he wanted to return after his Comeback Player of the Year campaign, Berry responded (via Easterling) the he has “a lot of confidence” in the Browns’ current QB room. Flacco said the Browns did not offer him a deal.

Helping build rosters that feature a host of eight-figure-per-year players, Berry authorized two restructures of Watson’s contract — the second of which coming in August. That created cap space in 2023 and 2024 but has two monster cap numbers staring at the Browns for 2025 and ’26. Watson is due to count $72.9MM on Cleveland’s next two payrolls. With the eighth-year player settling his latest civil suit, the chances the Browns are bailed out by a second personal conduct suspension have been reduced. Though, an NFL investigation continues.

As it stands, the Browns are on the hook for two more fully guaranteed $46MM base salaries — and the inflated cap hits that came from the restructures. It would cost the Browns $172MM to cut Watson in 2025, and even though that would be spread over two years in a post-June 1 transaction, the sum would more than double the current single-player dead money record — Russell Wilson‘s $83MM-plus tab the Broncos are navigating. Wilson’s dead cap more than doubling the previous single-player record illustrates how far into uncharted territory the Browns are because of their controversial 2022 trade.

When asked about how Watson’s contract will hinder the Browns down the road, Berry responded (via Cabot) “We’ll be able to build a team” regardless of that deal being on the books. Whether Berry is around to make those decisions will be perhaps the lead Browns storyline entering the 2025 offseason.

While Haslam authorized Berry and Stefanski extensions, the owner has been quite active in firing HCs and execs during his 13-year tenure. Will the Watson decisions sink both Berry and Stefanski (or just one?), or will ownership exercise uncharacteristic patience following this season’s significant step back?

Browns Brass Agreed Deshaun Watson Was Team’s Best Starter Option

November 1st, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first third of the Browns’ season brought consistent scrutiny on Kevin Stefanski‘s decision to keep starting Deshaun Watson. The former Texans Pro Bowler had rarely resembled his Houston version in Cleveland and had bottomed out this season, producing the league’s worst QBR among qualified passers during his seven starts.

Weekly calls for Watson to be benched rang out, but with Browns ownership and GM Andrew Berry not making themselves available to address this big-picture issue, Stefanski continued to do so. Stefanski had kept indicating Watson would not be benched, but the two-time NFL Coach of the Year shed some light on the organization’s decision-making process by confirming he had discussed the matter with Berry and the team’s ownership. It appears the parties were aligned on the decision to avoid benching the struggling starter.

While Stefanski had said ownership was not forcing him to keep starting Watson, who remains tied to a record-shattering guarantee ($230MM), ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi notes the choice to stay the course was agreed upon at all organizational levels. Watson’s Week 8 Achilles tear, of course, changed the Browns’ plan. Although the injury conceivably clouds Watson’s future in Cleveland, his guarantees for 2025 and ’26 — which are currently slated to smash NFL records in terms of cap hits — remain intact.

As many expected he would, Jameis Winston outplayed the 2024 Watson version in Week 8. The free agent pickup completed 27 of 41 passes, including a game-winner to Cedric Tillman, for 334 yards and three touchdowns. The Browns prioritized Winston over Joe Flacco, who said repeatedly he wanted to stay in Cleveland — before ultimately confirming he received no offer to return — but demoted him to the third-string level in Week 7. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, however, did not hold the starting gig once Watson went down. After a promising Week 8 — albeit with a boost from some Ravens dropped interceptions — Winston appears the clear-cut Browns starter.

It is not especially surprising the upper reaches of the organization agreed to keep trotting out Watson, who was at the controls as the Browns lost five straight. The team had made a historic investment in the embattled passer, sending the Texans three first-round picks in a package that included other draft choices and greenlighting the five-year, $230MM guaranteed deal. The Browns joined the Falcons, Panthers and Saints in being willing to send three first-rounders to the Texans for Watson, but their $230MM guarantee set them apart. As Watson was on the cusp of choosing Atlanta, the Georgia native backtracked thanks to the whopping guarantee — a figure that has not been approached despite the QB market skyrocketing since.

The Watson contract, which Jimmy Haslam indicated stemmed from a Berry plan, unfolding as it has may well place the HC-GM combination on hot seats despite the Browns authorizing extensions for both this offseason. Stefanski has also given up play-calling duties for the first time in his Browns tenure, handing the role to OC Ken Dorsey. The team did not discuss changing play-callers until Week 8, Dorsey said (via The Athletic’s Zac Jackson).

Stefanski’s run as a play-caller stretched back to taking over for a fired John DeFilippo as interim Vikings OC in 2018. Becoming Minnesota’s full-time OC in 2019, Stefanski landed the Browns’ HC job in 2020, arriving two weeks before Berry.

Winston’s early success reflects well on the coach’s scheme, which keyed a playoff berth in 2020 with a healthy Baker Mayfield and obviously flourished with Flacco at the controls en route to a surprising postseason berth last season. Though, with the Browns 2-6 and rumored to be prepared to make more seller’s trades following the Amari Cooper swap, Stefanski may not be out of the woods yet regarding an ouster.

Watson underwent surgery last week. Stefanski did not commit to the high-priced passer as his 2025 starter, though the veteran HC said he still believed in Watson. Thanks to the QB’s two restructures, he is tied to $72.94MM cap numbers in 2025 and ’26. Cutting Watson in 2025 would create an unfathomable $172.73MM dead cap hit, which would be spread over two years in a post-June 1 transaction (which would certainly be necessary in the event of a release). It will now be interesting, given the money still owed to Watson, if the Browns add a starter-caliber arm in 2025.

Browns Hand Play-Calling Reins To OC Ken Dorsey

October 23rd, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid a disastrous start, the Browns are changing play-callers. Despite winning Coach of the Year twice since arriving in Cleveland in 2020, Kevin Stefanski will hand over play-calling duties to his new top lieutenant.

Ken Dorsey will take over in that role, Stefanski announced Wednesday. This comes nearly a year after the Bills fired Dorsey from his post as their offensive play-caller. While Stefanski is determining if Dorsey will call plays from the sideline or the booth, he is delegating play-calling responsibilities after holding that role for four-plus seasons.

Refusing to bench Deshaun Watson, Stefanski had said he needed to be better in the play-calling role. With Watson out of the picture for the season’s remainder (and potentially for good in Cleveland, though his contract remains an anchor), Dorsey will take over for the accomplished HC. With the Browns set to start Jameis Winston in Week 8, he will hear the former Bills OC calling the shots.

Stefanski saw his offense work with Baker Mayfield in 2020 and again with Joe Flacco, despite a spate of injuries on offense, last season. Both slates ended with the Cleveland HC honored as NFL Coach of the Year. Stefanski also coaxed decent play from Jacoby Brissett during Watson’s 11-game suspension in 2022. The Stefanski-Watson partnership did not mesh, and while the latter probably deserves the lion’s share of the blame (as he ranks last in QBR and first in guaranteed money), this has not been the coach’s finest hour either. The Browns enter Week 8 last in total offense and 29th in scoring.

Although Jimmy Haslam placed what can now be labeled blame on GM Andrew Berry for hatching the plan to fully guarantee Watson’s contract to convince him to waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland in 2022, Stefanski was believed to be aligned with the front office boss. The Watson vision backfired spectacularly, and the Browns now must navigate a season that involves seller’s trades despite a quarterback signed at a fully guaranteed rate through 2026. Despite Berry and Stefanski having signed extensions this offseason, it would not be out of the question ownership is evaluating both long term — given the Watson debacle. Dorsey is suddenly a key player in this chapter.

The Bills fired Dorsey despite coaching a top-five offense. Buffalo began to lean on the run game more under interim OC Joe Brady, with Dorsey playing a role in attempting to influence Josh Allen to run less (for body preservation purposes). As Allen struggled with turnovers and the Bills in a midseason slump last season, Sean McDermott fired Dorsey. In Dorsey’s one full season as Buffalo’s OC (2022), the team ranked second in both points and yards. Of course, Allen played the lead role there. Going from the MVP candidate to Winston will be a steep drop for the second-chance OC.

Stefanski did not initially announce he would keep play-calling duties until training camp. Put in position to justify Watson’s starting spot repeatedly, Stefanski will now shift to a CEO role to close out his fifth season as Browns HC.

Watson’s endless struggles put Stefanski in a tough spot, and despite Flacco’s success producing a playoff berth, Stefanski — the Vikings’ play-caller before taking the Browns job in 2020 — will take a step back. At 1-6, the Browns are set for a major shakeup. It will be Dorsey and Winston’s show beginning Sunday.

Kevin Stefanski: Ownership Not Mandating Deshaun Watson Starts

October 16th, 2024 at 9:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Among qualified starting quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson ranks last in QBR. The Browns are riding an 0-for-26 streak on third down with Watson at the controls. The high-priced passer’s struggles have defined this Browns season and most of the past three, though this year has brought a new low for on-field performance.

As a result of Watson’s poor play, Kevin Stefanski has needed to provide weekly status updates on his starter. The recently extended Browns HC has continued to respond in the affirmative regarding Watson’s starting role, though he has since been asked to clarify if higher-ranking members of the organization are insisting the embattled quarterback stay in the lineup.

Stefanski said recently that he and Andrew Berry discuss decisions with ownership, and while the fifth-year GM should be expected to have a key voice in how his head coach constructs his starting lineup, a question was posed to Stefanski regarding ownership’s role in the Watson matter.

“I don’t get caught up in narratives, but we have a good dialogue with myself, Andrew, ownership about all things that have to do with this team,” Stefanski said, via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi. “They’ve been nothing but supportive, and any decision when it comes to football is my decision.”

Seeing his offense work best with Joe Flacco and Baker Mayfield (the 2020 version, at least), Stefanski has been unable to tailor it to Watson’s skills. At this point, however, it is fair to question whether Watson would succeed in any offense. A three-time Pro Bowler with the Texans, Watson drew a bidding war that also included the Falcons, Panthers and Saints being willing to trade what the Browns ultimately gave up. In addition to becoming the first team since the 1976 49ers to trade three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, the Browns also authorized an outlier guarantee ($230MM) for a player who had signed a Texans extension in September 2020.

That guarantee drove Watson to Ohio, rather than Georgia. The results have been borderline catastrophic, and if Watson cannot turn things around quickly, the Browns face an albatross unlike anything previously seen in NFL history. Furthermore, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot adds Berry and Stefanski were aligned on the decision to pursue Watson. While it may well seem like this scenario was forced upon Stefanski, Mayfield had trudged through an injury-plagued 2021 season that brought another step back for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Stefanski is now a two-time NFL Coach of the Year, receiving that honor for coaching Mayfield to a 2020 bounce-back slate — after the 2019 Freddie Kitchens experiment bombed — and then again after Flacco’s stunning resurgence occurred despite widespread injuries on offense. It would stand to reason Jimmy and Dee Haslam would trust Stefanski with this decision, seeing as both he and Berry received offseason extensions.

This Browns staff also pushed for Jameis Winston over Flacco this offseason, with the reigning Comeback Player of the Year not receiving a Browns offer. Winston has 80 starts on his resume from his time in Tampa and New Orleans. Stefanski continues to keep the door closed on Winston stepping in for the struggling Watson.

Though, this is a unique situation due to Watson’s contract, which Berry has now twice restructured. Jimmy Haslam credited Berry with the idea to fully guarantee Watson’s contract back in 2022. While Berry has built an otherwise strong roster, it is now worth wondering — thanks to Watson’s current form — if he could be in danger of following Jon Robinson and Steve Keim as recent GMs to sign extensions only to be fired later that year. No rumors have come out suggesting Berry or Stefanski is in danger, but the longer this goes, the more ownership will want answers for why the historically costly transaction has not panned out.

Watson also recently settled with the latest woman to accuse him of sexual assault, lessening the chances he would face a second suspension. Roger Goodell said (via The Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi) the league is still reviewing the matter, however. Watson needed to have informed the Browns of this incident in order for his future guarantees to be protected. A second ban is about the only chance the Browns have of escaping the guarantees, which are still in place for 2025 and 2026. Thanks to the second restructure, Watson is set to carry cap numbers of $72.9MM in each of those years.

It would cost the Browns a record-obliterating — which is saying something after the Broncos’ Russell Wilson release — $172MM in dead money to cut Watson in 2025. While Nick Chubb is set to make his season debut in Week 7 and the Browns have been without starting O-linemen often this season, it is difficult to find optimism. The team traded Amari Cooper on Tuesday, worsening Watson’s situation. At 1-5, Cleveland may well consider more seller’s moves before the Nov. 5 deadline.

Kevin Stefanski Addresses Browns Ownership’s Role In Football Decisions

October 10th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

In a period featuring high-profile quarterback misfires, the Browns are firmly in that club — perhaps having committed the featured misstep. The Deshaun Watson trade/extension is producing so little it has undercut an otherwise well-built roster. While injuries are affecting Cleveland’s offense, Watson has done little throughout his tenure to indicate he will live up to the five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed deal that had swayed him to waive his no-trade clause for the Browns.

Watson has confirmed Browns ownership offers him regular encouragement, and the Jimmy–Dee Haslam combination authorized extensions for both GM Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski this offseason. While the latter is now a two-time Coach of the Year honoree, Berry runs a front office that pulled the trigger on what may go down as the worst trade in NFL history — when the contractual components are factored in.

Jimmy Haslam said two years ago Berry hatched the plan to give Watson the fully guaranteed deal to convince him to waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland. Watson had eliminated the Browns from consideration and was heading toward committing to the Falcons. The fully guaranteed deal brought him to Ohio, but the Browns have not reaped much from the trade. They entered the season still waiting for Watson’s Houston-era form to resurface. Five games in, calls for his benching have been loud enough Stefanski has been forced to deny he has considered it.

Stefanski’s offense certainly worked better with Joe Flacco at the controls, while Jacoby Brissett was effective in stretches as well during Watson’s suspension. Baker Mayfield also bounced back from his rough 2019 season under Freddie Kitchens, leading the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 years in 2020. Watson’s poor play points to Stefanski needing to consider using Jameis Winston, whom the Browns signed instead of offering Flacco a deal to return. But the fifth-year Browns HC confirmed ownership would be a part of any decision to bench Watson (or any notable football decision).

“I talk to Andrew. I talk to ownership about our football team,” Stefanski said, via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi. “… I wouldn’t get into all the specifics. I think you guys know that we make great decisions together. I obviously talk to Andrew about everything we do. We talk to ownership about everything we do. That’s just how we operate.”

Owners widely meddle in football matters, as is their right even when they obviously carry less insight compared to football ops personnel. However, this particular group having significant involvement in football matters is interesting due to its past. Prior to landing on the Berry-Stefanski tandem, the Haslams cycled through six head coaches (counting interim 2018 HC Gregg Williams) and five football ops bosses since buying the team in 2012.

The Browns became the second team to finish 0-16, completing a 4-44 stretch from 2015-17. That span came after Jimmy Haslam pushed for Johnny Manziel in the 2014 first round. The current Browns situation formed when became the first team since 1976 to trade three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, and the contract they authorized — despite Watson being embroiled in off-field turmoil at the time — threatens to sink the roster Berry has built.

Watson ranks last in QBR among qualified passers this season, and his EPA per dropback is the worst of any Browns QB to start a season this century. Being sacked an NFL-high 26 times, Watson also sports the league’s third-worst rate of off-target throws (20.7%), Oyefusi adds. Watson, who averaged an NFL-high 8.9 yards per attempt in his final season as the Texans’ starter, is averaging a league-worst 4.8 per throw to start this season.

The Browns have a macro crisis on their hands, with their attempt to tailor Stefanski’s offense to their high-priced passer’s talents — via the Ken Dorsey OC hire — not working. Stefanski is not giving up play-calling duties at this time, and the question of whether he has the authority to bench Watson is now worth asking. The Cardinals and Titans also showed how quickly HC and GM extensions can turn into firings. Ownership pushed out the Steve Keim–Kliff Kingsbury tandem less than a year after extending both. Titans GM Jon Robinson was gone months after a 2022 re-up, and Mike Vrabel — despite a Coach of the Year honor — was out less than two years after his payday.

While this potentially puts Berry and Stefanski on notice, it is premature to suggest they are on hot seats. Though, this Watson catastrophe certainly could warrant a major firing.

The team may well be waiting until it can move closer to full strength on offense before fully evaluating this setup. Wyatt Teller is on short-term IR, while Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills have shuttled in and out of the lineup. David Njoku has missed three games, and Nick Chubb is in the PUP-return window. It will be interesting to see if the Browns can show progress once some of these players return, but time is running out.

Thanks to Watson’s two restructures, he is on the Browns’ 2025 and ’26 cap sheets at $72.9MM. No player has ever counted more than $50MM on a team’s payroll, with Dallas’ 11th-hour Dak Prescott extension moving him south of that mark.

Watson having settled his most recent civil suit alleging sexual assault also lessens the chances the Browns could void future guarantees in the event of a second suspension. Absent that, it would cost Cleveland $172.7MM (spread over two years, in a post-June 1 scenario) to cut Watson in 2025. For better or worse, the Browns are stuck here. Stefanski and Co. will continue to try making this foundation-shifting plan work.

Browns Not Benching Deshaun Watson

October 6th, 2024 at 10:18pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After an embarrassing 34-13 loss to the Commanders dropped the Browns to 1-4, head coach Kevin Stefanski insisted that Deshaun Watson would remain the team’s starting quarterback despite his struggles to start to the season.

“We’re not changing quarterbacks,” Stefanski said, via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “We need to play better. I need to coach better.”

But many of the Browns’ problems seem to start with Watson, who has posted a league-low 23.9 Total QBR (among current starters) this season while averaging fewer than 175 passing yards per game. The high-priced QB has thrown five touchdown passes and two interceptions, but his 26 sacks are a league-high. Cleveland has yet to score more than 20 points in a single game this season.

The Browns’ turmoil under center for the past two decades may have conditioned them to poor quarterback play, but Watson is reaching a new low in Cleveland. He started last year with a -0.20 EPA per dropback through Week 5, the lowest of any Browns QB to start the season since 2000, according to The Ringer’s Austin Gayle. That number has dropped to -0.30 EPA per dropback in 2024, severely hindering a Browns offense that is still without Nick Chubb as he recovers from last year’s season-ending knee injury.

But Stefanski is adamant that replacing Watson would not be a cure-all for the anemic offense, despite the presence of viable veteran backup Jameis Winston on the roster. Watson’s latest rough outing came as emergency Browns 2023 replacement Joe Flacco, who wanted to re-sign but was not part of Cleveland’s 2024 plans, posted a 359-yard passing day in a shootout loss to the Jaguars. The Browns did not make Flacco an offer and did not have a Watson benching on their radar despite his poor start through three games. While this latest effort will only intensify the calls for Winston to have a chance, Stefanski intimated this problem is beyond merely his QB1.

“This is not a one-person issue on offense,” Stefanski continued. “We have the guys. We have the coaches. We will get it fixed.”

Stefanski repeatedly emphasized the need for better coaching after Sunday’s loss, but his comments leading up to Week 5 indicate that he will remain the team’s play-caller moving forward. The Browns appeared to have multiple miscommunications on offense against the Commanders, and TV cameras caught Stefanski and Watson exchanging words after the quarterback walked off the field on fourth-and-goal. Stefanski confirmed this summer he would remain the play-caller, installing Ken Dorsey as a non-play-calling OC.

Watson is under contract in Cleveland for two more fully guaranteed seasons, with cap hits of $72.9MM in 2025 and 2026. The Browns’ second restructuring of his contract ballooned those numbers past that $72MM point, which would shatter an NFL record. The former first-round pick is facing another allegation of sexual assault after serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 for violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy stemming from several lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault. Barring a suspension that could allow the Browns to void Watson’s future guarantees — provided the QB did not inform them of this incident — they remain stuck with this contract.

Kevin Stefanski To Remain Browns’ Play-Caller In 2024

July 25th, 2024 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Browns hired a new offensive coordinator and other staffers in an effort to design an offense more suited to Deshaun Watson‘s skillset, the team is not changing its play-caller.

Kevin Stefanski said Thursday he will call plays for the Browns this season. Despite Stefanski carrying the play sheet during his first four seasons in Cleveland, some uncertainty existed whether he would continue to do so after hiring ex-Bills play-caller Ken Dorsey as OC. Dorsey will follow Alex Van Pelt as a non-play-calling Browns OC.

The Browns have succeeded intermittently with Stefanski calling plays, and the recently extended coach most recently displayed his chops by guiding the 2023 team to the playoffs after numerous injuries — including Watson’s season-ending shoulder malady — impacted their offense. Stefanski steered late-season free agency pickup Joe Flacco to Comeback Player of the Year acclaim, doing so without the services of Nick Chubb and the team’s top three tackles for much of the season.

The Bills fired Dorsey midway through his second season as their play-caller, giving way to Joe Brady. Buffalo’s Josh Allen-driven offense had run into some issues during a midseason swoon, one the team rebounded from en route to the AFC’s No. 2 seed. That said, Dorsey guided the Bills to No. 2 rankings in scoring and total offense in 2022. This came despite Allen playing through injury for much of that season.

Stefanski collecting the Coach of the Year award in 2020, after Baker Mayfield bounced back from a woeful 2019, came after he called plays in Minnesota in 2019. Cleveland’s current HC carries more experience than Dorsey, by a significant margin, calling plays. As the Browns make some changes on offense, the unit’s maestro will not change.

Cleveland took a significant step back in 2021, as Mayfield played hurt ahead of an awkward transition to Watson, and their high-priced quarterback has not come especially close to justifying the historic trade cost. Stefanski, however, coaxed a solid Jacoby Brissett stretch in 2022. The fifth-year Browns HC must continue to make it work with Watson, whose $230MM guaranteed contract runs through 2026. While Dorsey carries experience and would be the next man up, Watson will be continue communicating with Stefanski in the huddle.

Browns Extend HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry

June 5th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on tap for this offseason, the Browns’ extension agreements with Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry are now official. The team announced its fifth-year HC-GM combo is signed long term.

This represents rare territory for the Browns, who shuffled through numerous coaches and GMs during the Haslams’ first several years as owners. After two playoff berths in four seasons, Stefanski and Berry did enough to show ownership they should be at the wheel for the foreseeable future.

Rumblings of the Browns readying extensions for their power brokers emerged in March, and a recent offering from cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot pointed to the deals being close. The Browns have posted their best four-year win percentage under Berry and Stefanski since the 1986-89 run. Although this regime has not matched the Marty Schottenheimer-Bernie Kosar teams in terms of consistency or postseason accomplishments, it has elevated one of the NFL’s perennial doormats to a contender position.

“Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said, referencing the 2023 season, in a statement. “They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns.”

Since the Haslams acquired the Browns in October 2012, they have employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Prior to the Stefanski-Berry 2020 debut season, the team had gone 1-for-21 in playoff berths since rebooting in 1999. While the Browns have seen some stumbles (particularly at quarterback) during this duo’s tenure, their 2023 showing presented cause for optimism. With two 11-win seasons since 2020, the Browns are now 37-30 since Stefanski and Berry took over.

Stefanski, 42, joins Bill Belichick, Bruce Arians and Ron Rivera as HCs to win two Coach of the Year honors since 2000. The second one certainly solidified the play-caller’s case for an extension. The Browns gave Stefanski a five-year contract in 2020. Teams almost never make HCs lame ducks, the Dallas situation notwithstanding, and Stefanski is the longest-tenured Browns HC since Belichick (1991-95). None of the current Browns franchise’s coaches match Stefanski’s longevity or success, and the ex-Vikings OC managing to steer last year’s team to the playoffs marked quite the accomplishment given the circumstances.

The Browns withstood season-ending injuries to Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb and their top three tackles yet managed to win 11 games. Stefanski coaxed a stunning resurgence from late-season free agent signee Joe Flacco, who claimed Comeback Player of the Year honors despite only starting five games. Winning a playoff game proved too daunting a task for this ragtag cast, but Stefanski’s 2020 Coach of the Year offering produced a playoff upset (over the Steelers). That win came with Stefanski at home with COVID-19, though the Browns nearly toppled the No. 1-seeded Chiefs a week later.

Due to the 2022 Watson trade, Berry’s path has been a bit rockier. The Browns became the first team since the 1976 49ers to give up three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, and Jimmy Haslam pinned the idea for guaranteeing Watson’s entire five-year, $230MM contract on his GM.

Watson has struggled, with his 2023 health issues coming as replaced starter Baker Mayfield — who succeeded under Stefanski in 2020 before struggling amid injuries in 2021 — found his footing again in Tampa. As the Browns have no choice but to make it work with Watson, the roster Berry has assembled has proven successful despite its QB.

Draft choices under Berry’s predecessors still represent some of the top Browns pieces. Berry, however, reached extensions with Chubb, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Wyatt Teller. The GM also extended Joel Bitonio while acquiring Amari Cooper for only Day 3 draft choices. Berry acquisitions, along with the team’s Jim Schwartz hire, put pieces in place for a No. 1-ranked pass defense to help the battered offense last season. While Berry’s draft acumen remains to be fully seen due to the team not having a first-round pick for the past three years, the 36-year-old exec has made some pivotal contributions during his second Cleveland stint.

Berry, who rejoined the Browns two weeks after Stefanski’s hire in January 2020, initially served as a staffer under John Dorsey and de facto GM Sashi Brown during the 2010s. The Browns are still waiting for their Watson bet to pay off, but the team will give its decision-makers more time to operate around that monster contract.

Browns Nearing Extensions With Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry

March 25th, 2024 at 10:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Notorious for making GM and HC changes during their time as Browns owners, Jimmy and Dee Haslam are close to finalizing agreements to keep their current decision-makers in place.

Rumors surfaced about about extensions for Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski in February; the Haslams said Monday (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the deals are close to being completed. This would be a rare development for a Browns franchise that has not seen many coaches or GMs worthy of extensions since rebooting in 1999.

Since Jimmy Haslam acquired the Browns in October 2012, he has employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Before the Stefanski-Berry tandem, none of the Haslam-era HCs or GMs made it through a third season. Extensions were not exactly on the radar, but the Stefanski-Berry partnership has bucked the trend.

The Browns are 2-for-4 in playoff berths since hiring Berry and Stefanski in 2020; they were previously 1-for-21 since the NFL gave Cleveland an expansion franchise in 1999. While the Browns have not seen their Deshaun Watson move pay off yet, ownership still appears comfortable with handing out its extensions for a head coach or general manager.

Coming in as yet another HC-GM pairing (Dorsey-Kitchens) did not pan out, Berry and Stefanski saw their first offseason precede the Browns’ first playoff berth since 2002. Stefanski earned Coach of the Year honors that year and has since collected a second such honor, doing so as the Browns lost Watson, Nick Chubb and both starting tackles yet advanced to the postseason anyway. Stefanski coaxing stunning play from Joe Flacco, who lingered in free agency until November, secured the ex-Vikings OC the second award. It looks like the latter offering, which came three years after Stefanski helped Baker Mayfield rebound from a woeful 2019 season, will lead to a second Cleveland contract.

Berry’s extension case is a bit more complicated. He has been the GM in place for the team’s recent upswing, having helped build up a high-end offensive line. Berry was in place for the Jack Conklin signing and hammered out the extensions for Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio. Berry also extended Dorsey draftees Chubb and Denzel Ward. Of course, the Watson move has been Berry’s defining act as GM. Jimmy Haslam also placed the idea on fully guaranteeing Watson’s $230MM contract at Berry’s feet.

Berry is one of the NFL’s youngest GMs, at 36. He also was in place as a Brown lieutenant as the team attempted one of the more radical rebuilds in NFL history. Berry was with the Browns during their infamous 1-31 stretch from 2016-17, holding the VP of player personnel title during that period. He left to join the Eagles, returning in 2020 to become a GM at just 33. While his second Cleveland run has brought QB hiccups, the Browns assembled a quality roster — one DC Jim Schwartz helped maximize last season — as they have attempted to fix the signal-caller concerns.

Given the early returns on that controversial trade, hatching the idea of fully guaranteeing Watson’s deal could shift to blame soon. But the Browns retooled their coaching staff to better accommodate Watson this offseason; the Berry-Stefanski pairing will have a chance to continue this path beyond their initial Browns deals. Despite struggles in 2021 and ’22 due largely to Mayfield’s shoulder injury and then Watson’s 11-game suspension, the Browns are moving forward with contracts that will presumably run into the late 2020s.

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