Kevin Stefanski Reflects on Time With Cleveland Browns During First Press Conference

Here's what former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski had to say about his six seasons in Cleveland during his introductory press conference with the Atlanta Falcons.

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski speaks at a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

During his six seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Kevin Stefanski was a master at saying nothing in his press conference.

As the Browns are finalizing their search for Stefanski’s replacement, the two-time Coach of the Year met with reporters in Atlanta for his introductory press conference as the new head coach of the Falcons.

Unsurprisingly, Stefanski masterfully sidestepped questions about what went wrong during his time in Cleveland coaching the Browns. 

"I would tell you I have learned from all of my seasons in this game of football,” Stefanski said. “...Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. Some of (my) tough moments are going to make us better."

Stefanski should be quite the skillful sailor by this point in his coaching career. He had plenty of fires to put out, starting with the day he was hired by the Browns. The former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator inherited a roster loaded with premium, young talent, but they wildly underperformed during Freddie Kitchens’ lone season running the team.

Stefanski's time with the Browns was turbulent

During his first season coaching the Browns, Stefanski led the team to the NFL Playoffs. It was the COVID-19 global pandemic that challenged the way that the Browns operated. Team meetings were held virtually and fans were not permitted in the stands.

During that season, wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL. 

Beckham never wanted to be in Cleveland, but the Browns completely ignored that. Quarterback Baker Mayfield played much better without Beckham, and that issue persisted in the years to follow.

2021 was an unmitigated disaster. Baker Mayfield morphed from fringe MVP candidate to completely unplayable when he tore his labrum early on in the season. Mayfield continued to start games despite the injury, and Stefanski never took the reins to sit him down.

The Browns would miss the playoffs, causing the wildly controversial trade for Deshaun Watson that offseason. Stefanski signed up to coach Watson. Whether he was behind the deal or not, he couldn’t make things work with Mayfield longterm, causing the team to search for an upgrade.

That trade backfired in epic proportions, causing the Browns to select two different rookie quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders were arguably mishandled throughout the season, and Stefanski was fired at the conclusion of the year.

Those are the cliff notes of everything that went wrong during Stefanski’s tenure with the Browns. We didn’t even get to mention the tumultuous Beckham trade or the fractured relationship between Stefanski and Browns general manager Andrew Berry.

Stefanski probably would’ve liked to reminisce about all of the great times with the Browns. They defeated their arch rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL Playoffs. Joe Flacco took the team on a magic carpet ride back to the postseason in 2023 when the team seemed out of options at quarterback.

But the bad times ultimately outweighed the good in Cleveland, and hopefully Stefanski is prepared to navigate calmer waters in Atlanta.

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