Looking Ahead: What Does the Future Hold for Kevin Stefanski

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, and expecting a different result.

The Cleveland Browns, when held up in the light, fit that description to a T. They've repeated the same mistakes, kept the same coaches and general manager, and the same blueprint when its come to choosing quarterbacks to lead the team. And the results have been the same: failure after failure.

That pattern is an indictment on a few levels within the Browns organization. From ownership to the coaching staff, to players not holding up their end of the bargain - specifically, their end of a fully guaranteed $230 million dollar contract - there are a multitude of people to blame for this year's 3-12 record so far. And, they might just finish 3-14.

So, aside from a top draft pick, what does the team get from that? They certainly don't get a vote of confidence from their fans, and they definitely don't get one from players like Myles Garrett, who seem to be at the end of their rope when it comes to waiting for the team to make winning moves. Overall, another losing season can be seen as nothing short of a waste of time.

Read more: Browns take a big swing to fix the offense in latest 4-Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Does that mean the team should depart with a few heads of the snake that have come to shape the Browns, including head coach Kevin Stefanski? It might.

Stefanski, since signing on to be the head coach of the Browns back in 2020, has a record of 40-42. In the postseason, he's 1-2, and yet he's won Coach of the Year while with the Browns twice. In 2023, that accolade was granted to him after he led a team with no Deshaun Watson to an 11-7 record and a postseason berth. It was impressive, and made hope possible for the team headed into 2024

But, things have collapsed since then. The team was dealt another season with no Watson - not that he was performing admirably when healthy, anyway - and their defense started to show cracks in the secondary. The offense, helmed mostly by Jameis Winston, was boom or bust, and more often bust. The run game was non existent. And, the play calling was bland.

3-12 is a perfect encapsulation of the team that Stefanski has helmed this year - uninspired, and genuinely not liked by its fanbase. It doesn't matter that the team will have a top-5 pick in the draft, or that they might finally move on from Watson as their QB1 next season. The damage has been done, and it's tough getting this sort of stain out that was so happily splotched onto the fabric of the team.

Stefanski deserves another, single, shot. If he's unable to turn things around early in 2025, he'll likely be the first casualty of yet another strip down and rebuild for Cleveland. But, Stefanski shouldn't be as safe as he is right now, given the lack of discipline and lack of effort seen throughout the season from the Browns' already weak links.