While the New York Giants hired John Harbaugh, the Atlanta Falcons brought in Kevin Stefanski, the Miami Dolphins signed Jeff Hafley, and the Tennessee Titans hired Robert Saleh, the Cleveland Browns remain in search of the person who will lead the team next season and take on the task of fixing the quarterback position.
Only time will tell if the Browns made a mistake by firing Kevin Stefanski, who upon arriving in 2020 immediately put the franchise back on the competitive map. Stefanski led Cleveland to the playoffs in 2020 and 2023, earning NFL Head Coach of the Year honors in both seasons.
Stefanski’s biggest flaw was the instability at the quarterback position. What makes the situation even more unfortunate is that he had the right player in his hands and chose to move on in order to gamble on Deshaun Watson, who signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022. In the end, that gamble turned into a failure, one the Browns are still paying for.
The quarterback saga continues in Cleveland
Last season became the final breaking point at the quarterback position and ultimately led to Kevin Stefanski’s dismissal. During the preseason, four quarterbacks competed for the starting job. Before the season began, Kenny Pickett left the team, leaving Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel struggled mightily, and even a concussion suffered by the former Oregon Ducks quarterback opened the door for Shedeur Sanders to get his opportunity. Starting in Week 11, Sanders took over as the starter and, while he was far from spectacular, he clearly looked better than Flacco and Gabriel. Even so, it appears that his performance was not enough to secure the starting role for next season.
With Shedeur Sanders under center, the Browns finished with a 3-4 record, although two of those wins were largely due to strong defensive performances. Tony Grossi, Browns analyst for ESPN Cleveland, believes Sanders has not shown enough so far: “I don’t think he deserves to be handed the job.”
The final decision will be made by the next head coach of the Cleveland Browns, who has yet to be hired. One of the top candidates was Mike McDaniel, but it has now been confirmed that he will serve as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, adding even more uncertainty in Cleveland.
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