Browns' Myles Garrett, Kevin Stefanski address rumors about uncertain futures

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam voiced his support for Stefanski and Berry earlier in the week, but Haslam stopped short of guaranteeing the two would remain with the organization this offseason. Fair or not, outsiders have wondered if Haslam blames Stefanski and Berry for a process that began in the fall of 2021 and ended with the Browns giving Deshaun Watson a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract as part of acquiring the quarterback from the Houston Texans in March 2022. 

While Cleveland made the playoffs last season as Watson was recovering from shoulder surgery, landing his services will likely go down as one of the biggest mistakes in franchise history. 

In total, Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts during his Browns tenure. He played poorly across the opening six weeks of the ongoing campaign until he went down with a ruptured Achilles on Oct. 20, and his future in the league is up in the air considering the Browns seem stuck with a contract they no longer want to deal with through at least January 2026. 

As for Garrett, the superstar pass-rusher is under contract through the 2026 season and, thus, could possibly be worth multiple first- and second-round draft picks if the Browns actively tried to trade him ahead of the 2025 player-selection process. 

However, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested for a piece updated on Friday that the Browns could compete for a playoff spot as soon as next season if they get even decent play from a yet-to-be-named quarterback and don't dismantle a roster that includes key contributors such as Garrett. 

Meanwhile, Stefanski also spoke on Friday and said ownership has been "very supportive" amid a rough campaign.

Haslam could theoretically change his mind about Stefanski and/or Berry if the Browns end the season with four straight blowout losses. For what it's worth, it sounds like team leaders such as Garrett won't quit on Stefanski through Week 18 even though they'll be playing mostly for pride over the next four games.