Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski could be on his way out after the season. Unless the team can win one of its final two games, Stefanski will have guided the Browns to back-to-back 3-14 campaigns. As great of a coach as he has been, as evidenced by his two Coach of the Year awards, the reality is that it’s tough for any coach in the NFL to survive consecutive years with that much losing.
He’d likely be scooped up by another team immediately, and it’s entirely possible the Browns could keep him, but there’s a reason why many joke that the NFL stands for ‘not for long.’ Many have questioned Stefanski’s handling of this year’s roster, and it may be time for the Browns to get a new voice in the locker room.
Though nothing has been decided, it’s never too early for potential new coaches to be tossed around as options for the Browns in 2026. Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently wrote an article highlighting potential coaching vacancies and which names could be most often linked to them.
He named Chris Shula, the defensive coordinator of the Rams, as an ideal fit for the Browns.
“In two years, Chris Shula turned the Los Angeles Rams’ young defensive front into one of the league’s most stout groups. Under his tutelage, Jared Verse won the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year award, Kobie Turner has become a premier interior pass-rusher and Byron Young has double-digit sacks (11). Shula could work wonders with star edge-rusher Myles Garrett and 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Carson Schwesinger. Looking at the Houston Texans this season, the Browns defense can carry them to the playoffs while Shula’s assistants sort out the offense,” Moton wrote.
Most fans would likely prefer the Browns to target an offensive-minded head coach given how unproductive that side of the ball has been over the past two years, but when you’re winning three games a year, everything is going to be on the table. The Rams’ defense has developed an impressive amount of young talent over the past few years, and Shula has been a major part of it and will surely have plenty of teams around the league lining up to interview him.
He’d absolutely have a good time figuring out how to get the most out of Garrett, Schwesinger, Mason Graham, and the rest of this team’s immense talent on defense, but it would be pivotal that he find the right offensive minds to surround himself with.
Cleveland has to take big leaps on offense and won’t be going anywhere if they continue scoring 15 points a game every year.
NEXT: Myles Garrett Reveals His Defensive Line Mount Rushmore
