Since the team’s rebirth in 1999, the Cleveland Browns have not extended a head coach’s contract beyond its original terms until this year when the ownership group offered Kevin Stefanski a new deal.
During his tenure in Cleveland, Stefanski has earned two Coach of the Year awards for his masterful ability to get the most out of his team as he took the Browns to two playoff berths in the past four seasons.
Despite the accolades that he’s received, analyst Dustin Fox believes his reputation and future as a Cleveland head coach could be in jeopardy based on how he handles the Deshaun Watson issue.
In an appearance on the “Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show,” Fox shared his thoughts on Stefanski’s future and suggested his ability to lead the Browns into future battles may be hampered if he does not make the call to bench Watson.
“His reputation as a coach is on the line; the locker room, on the line,” Fox said, adding, “Listen, I think we’re coming to a point where he’s going to make that call, it’s just not this week.”
.@DustinFox37 says that #Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski's reputation is on the line#DawgPound | https://t.co/OuQeE9jRfR pic.twitter.com/SbCxHmof8J
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) October 8, 2024
Fox said that he believes Stefanski will make the call to bench Watson as early as next week.
That’s especially true if Watson performs as poorly as he did against the Washington Commanders, a game where he finished with a single-digit QBR rating for the second time this season.
“He’s close, and I guar-(expletive)-tee it if he has another eight quarterback-rating game,” Fox said of benching Watson.
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