There is no doubt that the credit Kevin Stefanski earned with Cleveland Browns fans – which was substantial – has been fading after a series of questionable decisions. The most painful came when the team moved on from Baker Mayfield, a decision that turned out to be a serious mistake, especially considering that the current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback had led the Browns to their first playoff win since 1995 back in 2020.
One thing is undeniable: Kevin Stefanski changed the face of the Cleveland Browns when he arrived in 2020. The team reached the playoffs twice, in 2020 and 2023, and Stefanski was named Head Coach of the Year in both seasons. However, all of that has gone to waste after a disastrous 2024 campaign in which he finished 3-14, and this season he has failed to manage the quarterback position – the most important role on an NFL team.
For this season, the Browns began the preseason with four quarterbacks, none of whom were on the roster in 2024: Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Stefanski first traded Pickett, then started Flacco – who didn’t pan out – clung to Dillon Gabriel despite his poor play, and only after all that did Shedeur Sanders finally get his opportunity, earning his first career start.
Analysts believe Kevin Stefanski nearly embarrassed himself
The Cleveland Browns defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 24-10, and Shedeur Sanders won his first NFL start – a historic moment for the franchise. Before Sanders, 17 quarterbacks had made their first start for the Browns since 1999, and none of them won their debut. Sanders, the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback, broke that trend.
Despite the offense looking better and, more importantly, winning the game, Kevin Stefanski still refused to commit to Shedeur Sanders as the starter for the next matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. This created frustration among fans, who are tired of what they’ve seen from Dillon Gabriel.
The throws Sanders made are ones Dillon Gabriel has not shown in six starts. Analysts Ken Carman and Anthony Lima on 92.3 The Fan Cleveland said Stefanski would be making a fool of himself if he didn’t keep Sanders as the starter: “It’s ridiculous if he’s not the starter next week… It might be a fluke, but I don’t care. I want to see more. If this is an evaluation year, it’s time to evaluate a guy with a higher ceiling.”
In the end, Kevin Stefanski announced that Shedeur Sanders will be the starting quarterback against the San Francisco 49ers, even though Dillon Gabriel has already been cleared to play. Now the moment truly belongs to Deion Sanders’ son – to prove himself, unleash his talent, and show all the teams that passed on him at least five times in the last draft that they made a mistake.
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