The Cleveland Browns‘ difficult start to the 2025 NFL season has prompted major internal changes that may signal more than a simple rebuild as at 1-4, the franchise appears to be entering reset mode.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s recent decisions suggest that the confidence within his locker room may be waning after he decided to trade Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals, despite him being the team’s starter.
Now Cleveland has reportedly made most of its veteran core available for trade, as according to Adam Schefter, multiple established names could be on the move as the Browns look to move on.
“David Njoku, Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, and more Browns veterans all listed as potential trade candidates, per league executives and coaches via Adam Schefter,” ESPN reported on Sunday.
The moves are an unmistakable sign that the Browns‘ front office has shifted its focus toward the future. Stefanski‘s decision to part ways with trusted veterans midseason sends a message to both the team and its supporters: it’s rebuild time.
Among those likely to draw trade interest is tight end David Njoku, now in the final year of his contract. His departure would pave the way for rookie Harold Fannin, who has shown enough promise to justify a larger role.
The same may be true for guard Wyatt Teller, a dependable fixture since the Baker Mayfield era whose contract expires at season’s end. As he approaches his 31st birthday, Cleveland‘s long-term plans may no longer include him.
Perhaps the toughest potential departure would be Joel Bitonio, the veteran lineman who has hinted at retirement after this season as he reaches the age of 34 years old.
Trading him now could be seen as a pragmatic move, but it risks alienating fans who view Bitonio as one of the team’s most loyal leaders and it could potentially disrupt relations with the All-Pro Myles Garrett.
Is Kevin Stefanski under pressure with the Browns?
And finally, with Flacco gone and a string of veterans likely to follow, Cleveland‘s once-crowded quarterback room has thinned dramatically as competition dwindles to the rookie pair of Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Gabriel has protected the football, throwing three touchdowns without an interception, but his conservative play has limited the offense’s explosiveness.
Should his form dip, calls for Sanders, the son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders, will grow louder as more pressure piles onto the head coach.
The reconfiguration of the roster also raises broader questions about Stefanski‘s authority as moving veterans who hold significant influence in the locker room often signals a shift in team culture.
It could also potentially mark a loss of belief in the coach’s leadership as if these trades go through, Stefanski will be relying heavily on rookies and untested players to stabilize a fractured team.
Whether Stefanski can regain control and guide this transition successfully may determine not just Cleveland‘s immediate fortunes, but his own long-term future with the franchise.
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