Browns Ownership Nearing Extensions for Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski

Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam shared on Monday that they are closing in on extensions for both General Manager Andrew Berry and Head Coach Kevin Stefanski.

Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry, left, and head coach Kevin Stefanski watch the team practice / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cleveland Browns Owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam announced at the annual owner's meetings in Orlando on Monday that they are closing in on finalizing contract extensions for both head coach Kevin Stefanski and General Manager Andrew Berry.

"We're in the process of working through things so Kevin and Andrew can be with us for an extended period of time," Jimmy Haslam said.

The duo came to Cleveland as a package deal in 2020, taking over the franchise after an embarrassing 2019 campaign under first time head coach Freddie Kitchens, who lasted just 10 months in the role.

It's been a fruitful pairing between Stefanski and Berry, with the franchise making two trips to the playoffs in their first four years together. As Berry has worked to reshape the roster over that span, it's been a collaborative effort with Stefanski's vision for the team in mind every step of the way.

"They never bat an eye," Jimmy Haslam said. "Deshaun [Watson's} out for the year, here's what we're going to do. Nick Chubb's out for the year, here's what we're going to do. Jack Conklin's out for the year, here's what we're going to do. And they don't panic. And I think we appreciate that. But more importantly, the players see it and they go, 'Okay, they have a plan. They're going to put some position to win'. And whether it's Kevin coming up with a different scheme or Andrew going out and getting certain players to help us, I mean, they have to work in tandem. And they do that very well."

Browns' Head Coach Kevin Stefanski Looks on in New York Jets v Cleveland Browns / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

During the Berry and Stefanski Era, Cleveland holds a 37-30 record which is tied for the 11th best record in the NFL over that same span. Their first campaign together in 2020 is easily the most memorable, as the Browns went 11-5 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 18 years. They then proceed to go on the road and beat Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round to earn their first playoff win since the franchise was restored in 1999.

Fast forward to 2024 and the Browns made it back to the playoffs in one of the most tumultuous seasons a team could have. Cleveland lost more than a dozen players, including numerous key starters, to season-ending injuries and yet, it was the leadership of Berry and Stefanski that guided the organization to the playoffs for the second time in for years.

The team's success amidst so much adversity also helped Stefanski earn his second AP Coach of the Year award. The only other Browns coach to earn the award even once was Forrest Gregg in 1976.

Keeping these two together for the foreseeable future is a top priority for the Haslams this offseason and they are apparently close to making it happen. Rest assured, as Cleveland shifts its from fixing a dysfunctional franchise to remaining a consistent playoff participant, it will do so with the guidance of Berry and Stefanski in lockstep.