That’s how things stand: the Cleveland Browns fired Kevin Stefanski, and less than two weeks later, the Atlanta Falcons made him their new Head Coach. And for good reason-Stefanski turned the Browns into a competitive team and led them to the playoffs twice. Before him, the franchise had only made the playoffs twice since 1999.
As if that weren’t enough, Kevin Stefanski was named Head Coach of the Year in both 2020 and 2023, and even so, the Browns decided to fire him, mainly due to the poor results of the last two seasons, in which they managed only eight total wins. Now Cleveland is searching for someone to steer the ship, and one of their top candidates was Mike McDaniel, but he is currently serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
The history of the Cleveland Browns is full of bad decisions, the most recent being the decision to move on from Baker Mayfield in order to acquire Deshaun Watson, a move that ultimately proved to be a failure. Only time will tell whether firing Kevin Stefanski will be remembered as another mistake.
Welcome to Atlanta, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski! https://t.co/LMaSUdjv0O pic.twitter.com/Vv4vFAvTQr
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 18, 2026
There is a lot of uncertainty around the Browns’ Head Coach search
Four teams have already named their Head Coaches for next season: the New York Giants with John Harbaugh, the Atlanta Falcons with Kevin Stefanski, the Tennessee Titans with Robert Saleh, and the Miami Dolphins with Jeff Hafley. Meanwhile, the Browns remain without a Head Coach, and the process is starting to drag on.
One of the reasons for the delay is that many candidates have been hesitant to take the Cleveland job due to the uncertainty at the quarterback position-especially because one of the options is a high-profile, media-heavy figure like Shedeur Sanders. This was reported by Mary Kay Cabot, a team insider.
The Browns' uncertain QB situation has given many head coaching candidates pause, according to @MaryKayCabot.
(via https://t.co/Q57vtHbz1X) pic.twitter.com/wEFCUrA9Ff
— BrownsNation.com (@BrownsNationcom) January 22, 2026
And it’s no surprise: the Cleveland Browns have had a revolving door at quarterback, all stemming from the disastrous gamble on Deshaun Watson in 2022, when they signed him to a five-year, $230 million contract. Since then, Watson has played just 19 games due to suspensions and injuries, and he did not play a single game in 2025.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski says Shedeur Sanders will start rest of season. pic.twitter.com/ThYtIPrY9L
— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2025
At the moment, the Browns have three quarterbacks under contract: Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders. Among them, Sanders may have the most upside, but there are still far more questions than answers. As a result, this situation has driven top Head Coach candidates away from the Cleveland Browns.
