The Cleveland Browns are in the mix for a new head coach. The Kevin Stefanski era had to end sooner rather than later, and the team finally decided to pull the plug on him.
However, you can’t fire a head coach just for the sake of it. You need to find a suitable replacement, and that’s sometimes the hardest part. This time, fortunately, the Browns might have their fair share of options. With that in mind, team analyst Ken Carman proposed three potential big-name candidates that could become available quite soon.
Talking on 92.3 The Fan, Carman believes the Browns could target Nick Sirianni, Sean McDermott, or Matt LaFleur for their vacant head coaching positions:
“If [Nick] Sirianni became available, if [Sean] McDermott were to become available, if [Matt] LaFleur were to become available. Their teams are in the playoffs. They gotta crawl before they walk. They lose these high-profile games, and we go, ‘Well, we don’t want them.’ But they’re in high-profile games. We’re not in high-profile games. Would you rather go down the unknown path of any of these young guys?” Carman said.
"If Sirianni become available, If LaFleur became available, these guys are losing playoff games. How good would it be? Would you rather go down the path of one of these young guys?"@KenCarman & @SportsBoyTony discuss some big name coaches who Browns could target if available👀 pic.twitter.com/qpPuwM0oTN
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 12, 2026
Sirianni is far from the ideal candidate. He’s proven to be as good as his coordinators, and he’s constantly gotten into it with the media and the fans, not to mention that he hasn’t been much of an offensive or defensive specialist since he took the reins of the Philadelphia Eagles.
McDermott, on the other hand, has done great things with the Bills’ defense more often than not, but he’s often been outcoached in the playoffs, especially down the stretch. And he won’t have Josh Allen in Cleveland.
Last but not least, LaFleur might have one of the brightest offensive minds in the league, so he would certainly fit a major need for this team. That being said, he’s also struggled mightily with game management, which is the only reason why he might become available after so many years of shortcomings in big games.
That’s to say that there’s no ideal candidate; everybody has flaws. That’s why the front office needs to make sure that they don’t just get caught up with big names.
They must find the right guy for this roster and this situation, regardless of his reputation or how the fan base might feel about him.
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