The Cleveland Browns have officially parted ways with Kevin Stefanski. That seemed long overdue, but that doesn’t mean it will be the end of the line for him in the league.
If anything, multiple teams will reportedly keep tabs on him and interview him for head coaching positions. Notably, that includes the New York Giants, who will be looking to replace Brian Daboll. With that in mind, team insider Art Stapleton reached out to Giants backup QB Jameis Winston, who’s more than familiar with Stefanski and his body of work.
When asked about his former coach, the former No. 1 pick had nothing but good things to say about him:
“Coach Stefanski is a brilliant offensive mind, great leader, he would be an asset for any team as a head coach,” Winston said, via Art Stapleton.
Talked to Jameis Winston about Kevin Stefanski, who coached him in Cleveland.
Jameis told me: "Coach Stefanski is a brilliant offensive mind, great leader, he would be an asset for any team as a head coach."
Would Stefanski work here? "Absolutely. He can lead anywhere."
Says…
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) January 5, 2026
Truth be told, it would be unfair to say that everything was bad under Stefanski’s tutelage. He’s clearly not to blame for all the things that went wrong, nor was he responsible for putting together this flawed roster. In fact, some recent reports even show that he was against the Deshaun Watson trade in the first place.
That being said, that doesn’t mean he was still the right guy for the job in Cleveland. The writing was already on the wall, and it seemed that he was no longer in control of the locker room.
There’s simply no way to keep your job as an NFL head coach after winning eight games in two seasons. That’s counting that two of those wins came in the final two games of the season when there wasn’t anything at stake.
Stefanski should definitely get another job in the league, although perhaps not as a head coach, at least not right now. He would probably benefit more from being an offensive coordinator and building his brand again.
As for the Browns, finding the right guy for the job will be crucial to turning the ship around once and for all.
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