Browns HC Kevin Stefanski Placed on Hot Seat Entering 2025 Season

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski begins the 2025 NFL season under intense scrutiny following a disappointing 3-14 campaign that left the franchise with the second overall draft pick. The two-time Coach of the Year has suddenly found himself in a precarious position as speculation mounts about his job security, according to Pro Football Focus.

Stefanski's time in Cleveland has been marked by both success and inconsistency. Over his five seasons with the team, he has led the Browns to a 40-44 record, including a postseason victory and a pair of playoff appearances. Despite his relative accomplishments when compared to his predecessors, another losing season could signal the end of his tenure with the franchise.

Stefanski deserves credit for his ability to extract maximum performance from rosters that often lacked elite talent across multiple positions. However, his previous success was overshadowed by a 2024 season to forget.

The Browns were owners of the NFL's worst offense in 2024, mostly due to the league's bottom-ranked passing attack, which was led by four different ineffective starting quarterbacks. In addition, running back Nick Chubb was far from his pre-injury form during just eight games played, forcing the team to move on from their backfield mainstay after the season.

Whether it was due to a combination of injuries, natural regression, or overcompensating for a stalling offense, Cleveland's elite 2023 defense was merely mediocre in 2024. Even the Browns' special teams unit was problematic, with their normally reliable kicker Dustin Hopkins missing a third of his field goal attempts and 15% of his extra-point tries.

Stefanski enters 2025 without a starting quarterback, reduced to managing a high-profile four-QB competition between veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. In addition, Deshaun Watson remains sidelined while recovering from an Achilles injury but hopes to return later this season, creating additional uncertainty for a position group with more questions than answers.

But with a new season comes hope—along with high expectations. Stefanski will resume play-calling responsibilities this season after relinquishing the duties in 2024, and the Browns added key defenders and a replacement for Chubb over the offseason, in addition to providing a lengthy contract extension to top edge rusher Myles Garrett. Still, the pressure is on Stefanski to right the ship quickly, for the sake of both the Browns' franchise and the head coach's future in Cleveland.