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The Cleveland Browns will look for another head coach after firing Kevin Stefanski on Black Monday after six seasons with the franchise.
Shedeur Sanders, the rookie quarterback who fans believed Stefanski was holding back, spoke about the move Monday as he and the rest of his Browns teammates head into the offseason.
“We found out a couple seconds ago,” Sanders said when reporters asked him what he thought of the news, according to The New York Post. “I think it’s just the general mentality, things are going to happen, that’s the league.
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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski walks on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati on Jan. 4, 2026. (Jeff Dean/AP Photo)
“And from now on, focus on what we can individually improve for the next head coach.”
It was a pretty generic response from Sanders, whom Stefanski made the starting quarterback for the remaining seven games of the Browns’ dismal 5-12 season.
Sanders came under scrutiny at the time he was selected in the fifth round by the Browns, especially considering many believed he was a first-round pick last April. Obviously that didn’t happen, and his draft stock plummeted as teams, including his own, chose quarterbacks ahead of him.
BROWNS FIRE HEAD COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI AFTER SIX SEASONS
Throughout training camp, and even into the regular season, there was plenty of speculation that the Browns weren’t giving Sanders a fair chance to earn the right to start under center, and fingers began pointing at the head coach.
Stefanski’s role in Sanders’ rookie season was a rollercoaster ride, at least in the public’s eyes. But Sanders mentioned that he and Stefanski began to “get to understand each other” while working together in their first season.
Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem before a 2025 NFL preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 8, 2025 in Charlotte. (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
“We would share different things that we would both go through,” Sanders explained. “I know he wanted this win and I know he wants every win, but I know this one means a lot.”
“I wish we all played as a team,” he continued. “And I wish we could have done more in person over this last year.”
The Browns earned a victory in their final game of the 2025 season, 20-18 over the Cincinnati Bengals, when Sanders threw for 11 yards on 11-of-22 passing with a lost fumble.
“I think I did what I could do and I definitely grew from a lot of things,” Sanders said while reflecting on his rookie campaign.
The season began with Stefanski firmly saying that veteran Joe Flacco was the starting quarterback even though Sanders and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel were also on the roster. Kenny Pickett was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, making the battle between Sanders and Gabriel as Flacco’s backup one of the top stories of the summer.
Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) of the Cleveland Browns celebrate a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
Stefanski ultimately chose Gabriel, who eventually started six games after Flacco was traded to the Bengals midseason. Gabriel went 1-5 in those starts and, after a concussion, Sanders was the next to try his hand at the starting role.
He won his first start against the Raiders and was 3-4 overall in seven starts. Sanders threw for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while completing 56.6% of his throws.
The Browns will not commit to Sanders, or any quarterback, heading into 2026, as they want to solidify their next head coach and allow that person to decide what is best for the franchise. Cleveland also has Deshaun Watson under contract for next season, and general manager Andrew Berry says they expect the embattled signal-caller to be with the team heading into the 2026 campaign.
“I’m not going to go into details. We have a lot of work to do on the roster, particularly on the offensive end,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam also said Monday.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Cleveland. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
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Meanwhile, Stefanski could bounce back as a head coach elsewhere in the NFL, as ESPN reports that the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans are expected to hire him to discuss their own head coaching vacancy.
Stefanski was a two-time Coach of the Year winner with the Browns, helping lead the franchise to two playoff appearances during his six years with the team (2020, 2023). He went 45-56 during 101 games with the franchise.
