After back-to-back losing seasons that produced just eight total wins, the Cleveland Browns are moving on from head coach Kevin Stefanski while retaining General Manager Andrew Berry. The two were hired together in 2020 and long viewed as a package deal, tasked with finally bringing stability to the franchise.
Ideastream Public Media sports commentator Terry Pluto reflected on that decision.
“Part of it, I think, is the owner, Jimmy Haslam, just didn't want to blow everything up as he's done in the past,” Pluto said. “By that, I mean, you fire your GM (and) you fire your coach.”
Pluto pointed to the broader NFL landscape as a major factor in the decision. With seven teams currently searching for head coaches, adding a general manager search on top of that would put the Browns at a disadvantage.
Pluto said Haslam likely wanted to avoid a prolonged rebuild, especially given Berry’s recent work.
“Andrew Berry had a very good draft this past year,” Pluto said. “And really, I did not favor blowing everything up just because I've seen it before. And it's hard enough to get one of those jobs right, much less two.”
Despite Stefanski and Berry being hired together in 2020, Pluto said he did not see the kind of internal rift that has often preceded past Browns firings.
“I didn't see any big, not like the usual divide (and) a phrase that Haslam used many years ago after one of his firings, internal discord,” Pluto said. “We've seen that before. We didn't see it with these guys.”
Pluto said Stefanski appeared to feel the weight of the team’s struggles on offense. The Browns started 13 different quarterbacks during his tenure, including seven over the past two seasons. The fallout from the 2022 blockbuster trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson also loomed over the organization.
“I really do believe that Kevin was worn down in this job," Pluto said. "He was the 10th longest tenured coach with the current team in the NFL when he was fired."
Stefanski led the Browns to two playoff appearances in his first four seasons as head coach and was named NFL Coach of the Year in the playoff seasons of 2020 and 2023.
Pluto said Stefanski is expected to be a prime candidate for other openings throughout the league.
Meanwhile, Berry is leading the search for a new head coach. It’s a process Pluto described as wide open and uncertain.
“One (candidate) is in-house," Pluto said. "It's Jim Schwartz, the defensive coordinator. He and Andrew Berry are close. They worked together in Philadelphia.”
Other names are circulating, including former New York Jets coach Robert Saleh and Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Joe Brady.
As for what the Browns will prioritize, Pluto said leadership is a given, but a stylistic shift could be coming.
“Maybe they'd want to change the personality slightly,” Pluto said. “Kevin was rather subdued. Maybe they want somebody a little more fire.”
Pluto also suggested the Browns may look to the offensive side of the ball, especially after years of struggles.
“Their offense the last two years, I believe, was ranked over the last two years the worst in the NFL,” Pluto said. “And that was supposed to be Kevin's thing.”
All of it, Pluto said, places added pressure squarely on Berry, with Haslam never far from the process.
“Owners always have a strong voice,” Pluto said. “Whether the voice is, 'I'll let you do it, you just better get it right,' or the voice says, 'you didn't get it right last time, I'm gonna pick the guy I want.'”
