Browns HC Kevin Stefanski on 'hot seat' amid Deshaun Watson suspension?

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has endured quite a roller-coaster ride filled with ups and downs since he earned Coach of the Year honors for the 2020 season, his first in charge with the organization. 

Then-Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield experienced a serious injury to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2 of the 2021 campaign that ultimately derailed Cleveland's playoff hopes and resulted in the beginning of the end of Mayfield's tenure with the franchise. This past March, the Browns controversially traded with the Houston Texans for star signal-caller Deshaun Watson even though he still had allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions hovering over his playing status at the time. 

Stefanski and company now know Watson will serve an 11-game suspension that officially begins later this month, and the Browns seem happy to "stick to our plan" of starting journeyman backup Jacoby Brissett through the end of November until Watson is eligible to return. 

One would think Stefanski would receive somewhat of a free pass for the upcoming season considering all that's happened. ESPN's Jake Trotter disagrees and explained for a piece published Tuesday why he believes Stefanski is "on the hot seat" in the closing days of summer. 

"No Browns head coach has survived three full seasons since Jimmy Haslam bought the team in 2012; Stefanski is now entering his third season," Trotter noted. "And though he won NFL coach of the year in 2020 while guiding the Browns to the playoffs, last year's losing season was a massive disappointment. The pressure is now on Stefanski to get Cleveland back in the postseason despite enormous turmoil at quarterback surrounding Deshaun Watson. Although he spearheaded the Watson trade, Haslam has never demonstrated patience as an owner. If the Browns struggle under the circumstances, the heat could fall on Stefanski."

Cleveland traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in July, and the 27-year-old was recently named that club's starter for at least the Week 1 home game versus none other than the Browns. Stefanski may have some difficult questions to answer if Mayfield out-performs Brissett en route to guiding Carolina to an opening-week win.