The Cleveland Browns made the difficult decision to move on from two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski on the heels of another disappointing campaign. The Browns ended the year on a two-game winning streak, but they still went just 8-26 over the last two seasons and made it abundantly clear that it was time to get a new voice in the locker room.
Around the league, Stefanski is obviously one of the most highly-coveted candidates due to his success with the Browns. Even though his tenure ended on a sour note, there is no debating the fact that he will go down as one of the best coaches in Browns history and did an admirable job with the hand he was dealt.
He has taken a number of interviews so far and, according to Connor Hughes of SNY, Stefanski is the early favorite to be the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Hughes pointed out that the sentiment around the league was that Stefanski would be a quick and sensible pivot for any team that didn’t land John Harbaugh.
“The #Giants & John Harbaugh are expected to finalize the deal for him to become their head coach today, per sources. They’re pretty close to getting it done, I’m told. I do not expect anything to change that. With that, hearing Kevin Stefanski is favorite for #Falcons job. That was talk before: Whoever didn’t land Harbaugh would get Stefanski.”
The #Giants & John Harbaugh are expected to finalize the deal for him to become their head coach today, per sources. They’re pretty close to getting it done, I’m told. I do not expect anything to change that.
With that, hearing Kevin Stefanski is favorite for #Falcons job.… pic.twitter.com/7DOWvB83YL
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) January 16, 2026
The Falcons are a logical destination for Stefanski, as the team is loaded with high-profile offensive weapons and has a solid infrastructure, which Stefanski certainly didn’t have in Cleveland. If he winds up as their next head coach, it would be interesting to see how he develops Michael Penix Jr. and how he utilizes Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, all of whom are major upgrades compared to anything the Browns have had over the past couple of years.
Stefanski has taken interviews with other teams as well, but the Falcons are an ideal fit for his skill set. It’s a shame things ended the way they did for Stefanski in Cleveland, but a coach as talented as he is won’t be on the market for long.
Whoever lands him will be lucky to have him.
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