Will Browns' Kevin Stefanski, Andrew Berry get 'hall pass' amid search for Deshaun Watson replacement?

As the Cleveland Browns were in the middle of restructuring their quarterback room this offseason, team owner Jimmy Haslam raised eyebrows when he said the franchise "took a big swing and miss" when it acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans back in March 2022. 

During the latest edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer indicated that Haslam unofficially confirmed earlier this spring that both head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry will hold onto their jobs even if the club endures a losing 2025 season. 

"At the owners meetings in March, Jimmy kind of alluded to that to a degree where he basically said that they probably do have a little bit of a hall pass this year based on the fact that they probably don’t have their, or they might not have, their long-term quarterback answered this year," Cabot explained while speaking about Stefanski and Berry.

The fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract Cleveland handed Watson three offseasons ago has been nothing short of a disaster for the organization for multiple reasons. He has made just 19 career regular-season starts during his Browns tenure, and he suffered a torn Achilles last October before he tore the Achilles again during his recovery. It's widely believed Watson will sit through the upcoming campaign before he and the Browns part ways in 2026.

Haslam offered his original comments at the owners meetings before the Browns added rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel to a quarterback room that was already occupied by Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. That said, Cleveland also picked up an additional 2026 first-round draft pick via a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars on the opening night of this year's player-selection process. 

Cabot thinks that transaction could result in Haslam allowing the Stefanski-Berry regime to pursue a quarterback in next year's draft if both Sanders and Gabriel leave much to be desired with their performances as first-year pros.

"I think he kind of laid it out there that these guys are going to have a little bit of time and he is going to be patient with them and give them an opportunity to see what they can do when they finally, finally have a quarterback that they feel really, really good about," Cabot added about how Haslam views Stefanski and Berry heading into the summer. 

Stefanski is a two-time Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award winner who most recently guided the 2023 team assembled by Berry to a record of 11-6 and a playoff berth. While the Browns may be headed toward a second straight losing season coming off a 3-14 campaign, it sounds like Stefanski and Berry aren't facing a "postseason or bust" mandate this spring.