The Cleveland Browns finished the 2025 NFL season with a 5-12 record, though that should not have surprised most in the organization, as this season was considered a rebuilding one. With so much young talent on the roster and without a viable starting quarterback, the Browns were destined to struggle to win many football games.
After another losing record on the books, the Browns finally decided to part ways with Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski’s job security was called into question throughout the regular season as Cleveland’s offense sputtered week after week, and ownership finally made the move most saw coming.
Parting with someone like Stefanski, who won two Coach of the Year Awards, is a tough decision, but in this case, maybe the right one as the team desperately needed a new voice to lead it.
Stefanski didn’t have to wait long for his next head coaching opportunity, though, as he landed with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons fired Raheem Morris as soon as the season ended, but then moved quickly to hire Stefanski.
Most praised the hire, but pundits like Skip Bayless had other opinions via his personal X account.
“The Atlanta Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski is a big mistake. He’s overrated. Talks a good game with owners. Doesn’t connect with players. Arrogant, condescending. Now all that Falcons’ talent will be wasted,” Bayless wrote.
The Atlanta Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski is a big mistake. He's overrated. Talks a good game with owners. Doesn't connect with players. Arrogant, condescending. Now all that Falcons' talent will be wasted.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 18, 2026
Bayless has never been afraid to call out teams for poor decisions, and it sounds like he is truly against the Falcons hiring Stefanski. Given how Cleveland looked this past year, Bayless seems to think that Stefanski is incapable of leading another young team in Atlanta that is positioned to compete in the NFC South for the foreseeable future.
It feels premature to go after Stefanski before he’s done anything with the Falcons, and there might even be Browns fans who’d also disagree with Bayless, given the situation with the team.
Only time will tell if Stefanski is the right hire for Atlanta, but meanwhile, Cleveland needs to turn the page and hopefully land the right person to lead them moving forward.
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