The end of the season has a familiar feel in Cleveland. Another year closes with frustration, unanswered questions, and fans scanning the horizon for someone to blame. For the Cleveland Browns, that search has once again landed squarely on the head coach as the calendar inches toward Black Monday.
Five seasons into the Kevin Stefanski era, patience is wearing thin. Expectations were not modest entering 2025, and the roster suggested more than another disappointing finish. Instead, the Browns arrived at Week 18 outside the playoff picture, reopening old wounds in a city that has seen this cycle repeat itself too often.
Stefanski’s résumé tells a mixed story. Since 2020, he has delivered two playoff appearances, something the franchise had not seen consistently since the days of Marty Schottenheimer. At the same time, four seasons have ended without postseason football, and the overall record reflects that uneven stretch. Around the league, Cleveland has been also been highlighted as one of the teams most likely to make a coaching change in the immediate aftermath of the regular season.
He’s a great coach. … It falls all on his hands in a sense
Denzel Ward’s take: A locker-room perspective that shifts the focus
Amid the noise, Denzel Ward offered a different perspective. In an interview clip shared on X by Browns reporter Ashly Holder, the veteran cornerback addressed the growing criticism surrounding Stefanski and chose not to join the pile-on.
Ward called Stefanski a great coach, acknowledging that head coaches naturally absorb blame from the outside. But his central point was clear. The season’s failure, in his view, does not belong to one person. Players, coaches, and the locker room as a whole share responsibility for the record Cleveland posted.
That message lands differently given Ward’s standing inside the organization. As one of the longest-tenured Browns, his words carry weight, especially at a moment when outside voices are growing louder.
That’s what the outside world sees it as ‘oh its just his fault.’ It’s not just his fault, it falls on all of us
Those voices include former players like LeSean McCoy, who recently criticized Cleveland’s handling of its quarterback situation. The decision to move on from Baker Mayfield and commit fully to Deshaun Watson continues to define this era, a gamble widely scrutinized.
If Cleveland does decide to move on from Stefanski, league insiders believe he will remain in demand, potentially resurfacing as an offensive coordinator with teams like the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, or the Las Vegas Raiders, who recently parted ways with Chip Kelly.
For now, Cleveland waits. Fans want accountability. The locker room wants perspective. And the front office must decide whether another reset is coming, or if the blame truly belongs to everyone wearing orange and brown.
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