Kevin Stefanski has a pair of NFL Coach of the Year awards on his resume but that doesn’t make him immune from potentially being on the hot seat if his Cleveland Browns underperform this season.
Stefanski has 37-30 record as the head coach of the Browns. In four seasons, he’s led the team to a pair of playoff berths and has helped change the culture in Cleveland. However, Stefanski and Co. are heading into a make-or-break season with high expectations.
Bleacher Report listed the Browns among five teams that could make “major changes” if they don’t bring home the Super Bowl next season. Stefanski and Deshaun Watson were the two most significant changes targeted.
“Strangely, Kevin Stefanski’s individual recognition isn’t necessarily based on his team emerging as a dominant squad. Instead, Cleveland outperformed previous expectations in both of those instances either due to a previous regime’s failures or injuries,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski said. “At this point, it’s all about the quarterback in Cleveland. If Stefanski and his staff can’t maximize what they have behind center, either they or the quarterback shouldn’t be with the team beyond this season. The Haslams aren’t exactly known for their patience.”
The Browns filtered through six head coaches in 10 seasons before Stefanski was hired. None of those skippers had a record over .500 over that span. But now with the investment in key players, the expectation for Stefanski is clear. It’s playoff success or bust for Stefanski.
Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are heading into the final year of their current contracts. There have been talks of extensions for both, which could happen before the start of the season.
Browns Need Big Season Out of Deshaun Watson
Watson must step up next season if the Browns hope to hit their Super Bowl aspirations. So far, the blockbuster trade for Watson has looked like a massive miss for the Browns.
The Browns gave up a trio of first-round picks to land him via a 2022 trade and also handed him a $230 million fully guaranteed contract. So far, Watson has played in 12 games with mixed results. He’s passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked Watson as the No. 23 quarterback in the league, citing his uneven play when he’s been on the field for Cleveland.
“Watson has been a disappointment since joining the Cleveland Browns. He has played in just six games in each of the past two seasons due to suspension and injury, and he is coming off season-ending surgery to his throwing shoulder. His numbers reflect all of that,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote. “Watson’s 58.7 cumulative PFF passing grade over the past two years ranks 53rd among qualifying passers. Still, his dominant days in a Texans uniform are not a figment of your imagination. Perhaps this is the year we see it again, though he is running out of time to prove it.”
Deshaun Watson ‘Looking Like Himself’ During OTAs
There’s a level of uncertainty surrounding Watson’s return following season-ending shoulder surgery. However, the Browns have liked what they’ve seen so far from Watson during offseason workouts.
“He looked like himself to me,” Stefanski said on May 22. “I’ve been able to watch him the last couple of weeks now that we’ve gotten into Phase 2, so I’ve seen him throw. He’s making great progress and we will continue to just follow the medical team on this, but he looks like himself.”
Watson alternates days throwing during OTAs, sticking to his rehab plan.
If Watson goes down, the Browns appear more prepared than they did a year ago, when they started five different quarterbacks. Jameis Winston is slated to be Watson’s primary backup. Tyler Huntley and Dorian Thompson-Robinson will also be in the mix.
Depth is nice but the ideal situation for the Browns will be their $230 million quarterback performing at the Pro Bowl level he once showed in Houston.
