Kevin Stefanski Addresses Browns Future, Amid NFL Rumors Ahead of Season Finale

Kevin Stefanski won the Coach of the Year in two of his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, but his job security is now a focal point as the AFC North team plays out the string on a second straight losing campaign.

"As you can imagine, my sole focus is on this game versus Cincinnati," Stefanski told reporters Monday when discussing speculation he could be coaching in his final game for Cleveland.

"But I would also tell you, I'm privileged to have this job."

The Browns played the role of spoiler and prevented the rival Pittsburgh Steelers from clinching the AFC North with Sunday's win, but they are still just 4-12 heading into the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The only thing at stake for Cleveland is whether Myles Garrett will get the sack he needs to set the NFL's single-season record.

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As for Stefanski, there was a time when he was seen as one of the best coaches in the league because of his early success with the Browns.

He led them to an 11-5 record and playoff appearance in the first season of his tenure in 2020. It was also the AFC North team's first postseason appearance since the 2002 campaign, but it didn't take long for Stefanski to return with an 11-6 record in 2023.

Yet things have not gone as planned since, which is all the more notable since Cleveland gave the head coach a contract extension before the 2024 season. The team went 3-14 last season and has just one more victory in 2025.

Part of the issue is the failed Deshaun Watson trade. The Browns surely envisioned him as their franchise cornerstone when they traded three first-round picks to the Houston Texans to acquire him and then gave him a fully guaranteed $230 million ahead of the 2022 season.

However, he has appeared in just 19 games due to suspension and injuries, which has kept the position a long-term question mark.

Perhaps the Browns will look to build around Shedeur Sanders after the rookie has flashed his potential at times. Or perhaps they will draft a new quarterback in 2026 in something of another positional restart.

But first the front office will have to decide whether Stefanski is the coach it wants leading the way in that next step.