Players, Not Kevin Stefanski Should be Speaking Up About Jadeveon Clowney

I didn't need to hear what Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski had to say about pouty malcontent Jadeveon Clowney, who was sent home on Friday. I know his policy and I don't expect him to stray from it nor should he. That action was enough. Stefanski should be focused on the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team the Browns play Sunday. The people I want to hear from on this topic are the players who have a stake in the success of this team; those Clowney quit on.

Stefanski spoke to the media and briefly touched on Clowney's baseless whining to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com in an article published Thursday evening. Stefanski took the same approach with the Clowney situation as he has with every internal issue since he's been the head coach of the team.

Maybe Stefanski could've put on a performance, the show so many have been waiting for. He could've come out and raised hell. The media would've gotten a story. Radio shows and podcasts would have something to talk about. It might have fired up a certain portion of the fanbase, but there would have been plenty who would simply criticize Stefanski because they simply don't believe in him as the coach of this team.

That isn't who Stefanski is.

Instead, he remained consistent, because the only people he is truly accountable to are those in Browns headquarters and the locker room. Those players need him to be consistent on the issues that matter most, including what to expect from him. As it relates to Clowney, any messages he wanted to relay should've been to them.

I don't need Stefanski to keep selling me. What I want is for players, those Clowney abandoned, to show they are bought in not only to Stefanski but what this team is building. That could be through words as well as actions. If this further galvanizes the team ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, that could make this turn of events a valuable experience.

It was refreshing to hear Myles Garrett take the lead on this in his media availability Friday. "I want volunteers, not hostages." Echoing an old sentiment, one that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has made his own with the Steelers. It may be applicable to a specific situation, but it's a valuable outlook on building a team as well as life in general.

“If you feel like no one believes in you here, then go. Go where you feel like you’re wanted, you’re loved and you can be appreciated.“ - Myles Garrett

A team desperate for leadership, especially on the defensive side of the ball, got some Friday. Garrett called for more.

#Browns Myles Garrett said they need to rally around leadership more than ever after the Jadeveon Clowney situation.

"There's got to be a steady does of leadership from the top down and we've got to squash all this before it comes to a fever head like this." pic.twitter.com/nJdacEFrjR
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) January 6, 2023

Hopefully, Garrett is just the tip of the iceberg.

Players should be pissed at Clowney. They have been working at this for seven months and he bailed before their last game. And for what? Because he was unproductive and needed someone to blame for his own failures.

But notice that Garrett never directly attacked Clowney. He didn't need to tear him down as warranted as it might be to make the larger point. So when calling for players to speak up, it doesn't need to be in the form of taking shots at their soon to be former teammate.

Kevin Stefanski isn't going to be out there on the field. Neither is defensive coordinator Joe Woods. They won't make a single tackle or be asked to play a gap. But his teammates will be impacted by his selfish decision, a consistent pattern throughout Clowney's career. They will be playing the game without him, presented with an opportunity to show they can win without him.

It's poetic that Jacoby Brissett was the other player made available to the media. He started 11 games for the Browns, knowing Deshaun Watson would unseat him, regardless of his performance. Brissett has been hailed as a leader, a valuable member of the locker room. And since Watson has taken over at quarterback, Brissett has enthusiastic supporter of Watson, the Browns as a whole even as he intends to compete for a starting job somewhere else next year.

Brissett is the antithesis of Clowney. Throughout the season, Brissett was quick to take blame, demand more of himself as a player. He still tries to help the team however he can including as a fourth down option. This should be an important lesson for the Browns. Brissett may not be as talented as Clowney, but teams win more games with a team made up of players like Brissett than clowns like Jadeveon.

Clowney's not going to be back with the Browns next year. That much is clear. But how the players on this team react to this situation is infinitely more important than the coaching staff. They need to police themselves to build a winning culture, regardless of who is coaching this team, something this team has been desperately seeking for 30 years. It's up to these players how they choose to respond.