Kevin Stefanski’s run with the Cleveland Browns is officially over, and now that the dust is settling, the evaluations are starting to roll in.
Not surprisingly, they are all over the place.
Some fans point to the playoff win in Pittsburgh. Others focus on the constant quarterback chaos, the Deshaun Watson gamble, and how quickly things unraveled this season. Now, longtime Cleveland media personality Bruce Drennan has weighed in with his own blunt assessment.
And he did not sugarcoat it.
During a recent episode of Bonus Time with Bruce Drennan, the veteran broadcaster gave Stefanski a ‘C-‘ grade for his six seasons in charge of the Browns.
“I just can’t go higher than that. I’m sorry,” Drennan said.
"I just can't go higher than that, I'm sorry." #DawgPound
Bruce gives Kevin Stefanski a C- for his time in Cleveland.
presented by @FanDuel https://t.co/UCxs9le8gJ pic.twitter.com/HtU6KYws0F
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) January 11, 2026
That line alone pretty much sums up how a large portion of the fan base feels right now.
Stefanski was brought in as the steady hand. The adult in the room. The coach who would finally bring structure and consistency to an organization that had chewed through head coaches for two decades.
To his credit, he did stabilize things early. The Browns went to the playoffs twice under his watch and won a postseason game for the first time since the 1994 season. He also managed to keep the locker room together through some truly chaotic quarterback situations.
But that is where the praise starts to thin out.
For every step forward, there was a step back. Questionable game management. Conservative decision-making at the worst possible times. An offense that never fully matched its talent level. And ultimately, the Deshaun Watson era that defined the second half of his tenure ended up sinking everything.
Fair or not, that will always be attached to Stefanski’s legacy in Cleveland.
The Browns entered this past season with expectations of competing. Instead, they collapsed, cycled through quarterbacks again, and finished watching January football from home. Ownership finally decided it was time to reset.
Drennan’s “C-” grade reflects that middle ground. Not a disaster. Not a success story either.
Stefanski was not the worst coach the Browns have ever had. He was also not the one who changed the franchise’s direction long-term.
Now the organization is back at another crossroads, searching for a new head coach and another new vision, hoping this time the results are different.
As for Stefanski, he will land on his feet somewhere in the NFL. Smart offensive minds always do.
But in Cleveland, his tenure will likely be remembered as a stretch that promised more than it ever delivered.
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