The Opening Drive 11/10: It’s Time To Move On from Kevin Stefanski — Should The Browns Do It Now or After the Season?
The Browns find themselves the uncomfortable place between desired change and the desired result.
The Cleveland Browns are out of excuses. Five plus seasons into Kevin Stefanski’s tenure, the same problems that once seemed like growing pains now define his era. An offense stuck in neutral. A team that too often looks unprepared and fails to make critical plays in the moment. Stefanski was supposed to be the steady hand who brought structure to chaos. For a while, he was. His calm demeanor, measured tone, and system-oriented approach brought the Browns their first playoff win in nearly two decades. But what once felt like discipline now feels like detachment. The team no longer plays with the same urgency, creativity, or much-needed edge. All of which are qualities essential in today’s NFL. And so here the Browns sit again, drifting toward another disappointing finish, facing the question: Is it time to fire Kevin Stefanski? The answer, at this point, is yes. However, the timing is crucial; whether to do it now or after the season is where things become complicated.
The Case for Waiting Until the End of the Season
There’s an argument, while strategic and cynical, for keeping Stefanski through the end of the year. The Browns are not playing like a playoff team, and to be fair, not even a below average one, and barring a massive miracle their postseason hopes are gone. If that’s the case, letting Stefanski finish what he started could serve two purposes. First, it avoids unnecessary midseason chaos. There’s no clear heir apparent waiting in the wings, and promoting an interim coach might disrupt the locker room without delivering any tangible benefit. The defensive unit under Jim Schwartz is not the problem, and the last thing this team needs is more instability. Second, and perhaps most pragmatically, continuing to lose is likely to benefit the Browns’ long-term future. The harsh truth is that the more they fail now, the better their draft position will be. If the Stefanski era is truly ending, there’s no harm in letting it play out while quietly improving the team’s position for the highest pick they can get, with the idea that landing a franchise quarterback is the quickest path back to relevance.
When the year ends, they can make a clean break, conduct a full coaching search, and start over without the emotional chaos that often accompanies an in-season firing. This approach accepts short-term pain for potential long-term gain. It’s not exciting and, at times, is painful, but many would argue that it’s strategically their best chance moving forward.
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The Case for Firing Him Now
Of course, there’s also the other side — the emotional, competitive, and arguably overdue argument: fire Stefanski now and send a message that this level of incompetence will not be tolerated.
Sometimes, a midseason firing can serve as a wake-up call for the entire building. The infamous “coach-firing bump” can be a real thing. Teams often respond to new voices with sharper effort and renewed focus. If the Browns feel like a team stuck in neutral, maybe the only way to jolt them awake is to change the person driving. There’s also the optics of leadership. By acting decisively, the organization could reassert control over its own narrative. Instead of trudging through another uninspired December, the Browns could take ownership of their direction. It would tell players, fans, and the league that losing this much isn’t acceptable. Not now, not ever.
However, the potential downside is apparent. If an interim coach leads the team to a few meaningless wins, the Browns could jeopardize their draft position. Winning might feel good in the short term, but in the long game, it’s empty calories or prideful victories that don’t fix what’s broken. That’s the delicate balance. Fire him now, and you risk the quick sugar high of a temporary bump that ultimately costs you future assets. Keep him, and you risk more embarrassing losses and fan apathy. There’s no perfect path, only a choice between controlled decline and risky disruption.
The Decision Ahead
So what should the Browns do?
If they fire Stefanski now, they get an immediate jolt and make a stand for accountability with a potential boost of energy, and maybe a few meaningless wins that excite fans but hurt draft stock. If they wait, they maintain stability, maximize draft position, and quietly prepare for a more deliberate transition. Neither path is ideal. But one thing is clear: this level of underachievement is no longer acceptable. Whether the Browns make the move today or in January, the message has to be the same: the standard must be better than this nonsense, and Kevin Stefanski no longer meets it. He was the right coach for the Browns when they needed structure. But now they need vision, creativity, and fire. And those are qualities this team no longer plays with. The only real question left is timing. The decision itself should already be made.
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Disagree. I do not think he should be fired at all.
We knew this was coming this year. We have a limited team that can only win a very specific way.
Ball controlled offense. Great defense. Great special teams.
If you have been a big disappointment and we have not been playing complementary football. That’s why we are losing. Not because of a limited offense.
I mean… we scored 17 against the jets in the first half. No turnovers. That should be enough to win f the D and ST do their parts.
They should fire him now, and the primary reason is to get an early start on the hunt for a new coaching staff. There is invariably competition for the best candidates, as there are typically 6-8 firings each year- let's not lose out because we dragged our feet on the search process. BTW, the GM should be gone as well, with THAT search started first - and immediately.