The Cleveland Browns entered the 2024 NFL season with high expectations. Loaded on both sides of the ball, the Browns were primed to compete in the AFC if they received solid quarterback play.
Well, through 11 weeks, Cleveland is 2-8 and set to play the rest of the season with Jameis Winston under center after Deshaun Watson suffered a torn Achilles.
As a result, head coach Kevin Stefanski finds himself on a hot seat that’s warming by the week. Ahead of Thursday night’s home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, let’s look at the chances of Stefanski being fired before the end of the campaign.
Looking at Kevin Stefanski’s Time in Cleveland
Following a 14-year run as an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings, Stefanski joined the Browns in 2020 and saw immediate success.
Taking over a team that went 6-10 the previous season, Stefanski led the Browns to an 11-6 record while helping turn Baker Mayfield around after his underwhelming sophomore campaign. For his efforts, Stefanski earned the Coach of the Year award.
However, in 2021, Mayfield regressed. During the following offseason, Cleveland traded for Watson despite knowing the controversial quarterback could be suspended for most of the 2022 season.
Watson didn’t return until the second half of the season, and the Browns finished 7-10, but hopes were high for a major turnaround in 2023. Cleveland largely met expectations while going 11-6 and earning a spot in the playoffs.
The Browns won despite Watson, and Stefanski, who won his second Coach of the Year award, was given most of the credit. No one was questioning his job security.
But this season’s been a different story.
The Browns rebounded from a season-opening loss to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2. But they lost their next five games — losing Watson along the way — before topping the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.
The good vibes didn’t last long, as Cleveland lost to the Los Angeles Chargers the following week and were blown out by the New Orleans Saints in a post-bye week embarrassment. Now the Browns must deal with the 8-2 Steelers, who entered Week 12 on a five-game winning streak.
Would a third consecutive loss result in Stefanski’s firing? Probably not, as he’s not to blame for the QB situation or the injuries that have ravaged Cleveland’s defense. As a two-time Coach of the Year winner, Stefanski deserves to keep his job at least for the rest of the season.
Still, the Browns rank dead last in Pro Football Network’s Offense+ metric (F) and just 10th in the Defense+ metric (B-). No matter how you slice it, the Browns have been one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams in 2024.
Stefanski is on notice.
Has Stefanski Been Fired Before?
Stefanski has never been fired during his coaching career.
After spending the 2005 season as the assistant director of football operations at the University of Pennsylvania, Stefanski joined the Vikings in 2006 and saw multiple promotions during his successful tenure. He wasn’t fired before taking the Browns’ head coaching job in 2020.
As of this writing, Stefanski has a 39-38 regular-season record and a 1-2 playoff record.