Kevin Stefanski Reveals His True Thoughts on Shedeur Sanders' Rookie Season

Well, well, well, it didn't take long for Kevin Stefanski to start talking about quarterback Shedeur Sanders, even after he left the team to join the Atlanta Falcons.

But fortunately, it was all positives he spoke about.

The new head coach in Atlanta was asked on a recent podcast interview about what his thoughts were on Sanders and what it was like coaching him during his rookie season in Cleveland.

“I love Shedeur," Stefanski said. "I loved coaching him, seriously. He’s got the right makeup for this game; he was wired the right way. I wish that we won more obviously, but if you saw how he played down the stretch, I mean, he’s a young player that’s getting better.

"I am rooting for him."

Throughout the entire 2025 season, even when things looked good for the team, the media and fans across the league continued to question what the relationship was like between Stefanski and Sanders. They never publicly, or privately, to anyone's knowledge, got into any notable disagreements or anything of the sort.

Most of the questions and concerns arose due to how long it took the Browns to give Sanders a shot as the team's starting quarterback.

By the end of his inaugural season of professional football, Sanders was the team's starting signal caller and had made gradual progress week by week.

The Future in Cleveland

While the comments of Stefanski are nice to hear, it has little effect on what's to come for the Browns in 2026. He's no longer with the team and has no say in what comes next.

With a brand new coaching staff and a front office that is hoping to shake things up in order to start winning games, there's a chance that Sanders doesn't suit back up for the team in the near future. Throughout the offseason, both head coach Todd Monken and general manager Andrew Berry have stated they are opening the position up to any possibility.

The Browns have been rumored to be in the market for upgrading the position, whether it's through the draft or free agency, while also evaluating a potential return for controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson.

That means that Sanders, who finished the season with a 3-4 record, 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns, could be out of a job by the start of 2026. He'll have to come ready to go and show the coaching staff that he's grown throughout the offseason, making him ready to take a step forward.

Fortunately, due to his competitiveness, drive and willingness to learn, that shouldn't be an issue. Back when Stefanski led the Browns as the head coach in 2025, he actually praised those parts of Sanders' mentality.

Now, it's just up to Sanders to prove to the newcomers in the organization that Stefanski's comments aren't just post-break-up kindness.

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