NFL insider suggests Kevin Stefanski could be open to leaving Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski likely finds himself on the hot seat at 3-10.

During the preseason, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stated that 3-14 “won’t cut it,” when referencing Cleveland’s record from last season. With four games remaining, the Browns find themselves with just three wins again – and pressure is undoubtedly mounting.

But according to NFL insider Albert Breer on the MMQB NFL Podcast, Stefanski could potentially welcome a departure from the Browns this offseason.

“If you’re Kevin, and you are making all of these decisions for football reasons, and you have made a lot of other decisions over the years for football reasons and they’re constantly second guessed and everything turns into a circus, would you be sick of it?”

Breer was explaining that the success of polarizing quarterback Shedeur Sanders actually makes Stefanski look bad, as the sixth-year head coach preferred to develop the fifth-rounder off the field.

“With Paul DePodesta gone and no plan to replace him, is this a natural point for them to evaluate everything?” Breer asked. “Has this just become, ‘You know what, this hasn’t worked out for either one of us over the last couple of years, so maybe it’s just time.’”

The longtime NFL reporter also hinted that Stefanski’s voice is oftentimes overshadowed by other decisionmakers within the Browns.

“The one thing that would be really frustrating for me if I were a coach there is that you’ve been trying to make decisions for football reasons and nobody will accept them,” Breer said.

Breer repeatedly noted his personal belief that Stefanski could potentially get hired right away, naming the New York Giants as a team to watch if he was let go. Remember, national NFL newsbreakers always get their stories from somewhere – and it sounds like Stefanski, or somebody close to him, could be frustrated with how things are unfolding with the Browns.

Breer isn’t the first reporter to suggest that Stefanski would be able to land another head coaching job if he were to be fired. Prior to the Browns losing their Week 14 matchup with the Tennessee Titans, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted that he’d be primed to land elsewhere.

Dan Orlovsky has also named the Giants as a team that would make sense for Stefanski.

Despite winning two Coach of the Year awards in his first three seasons in Cleveland, Stefanski has found himself facing plenty of challenges. Last season, the team won just three games as Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. This year, he has dealt with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Sanders as his starting quarterbacks.

The NFL is a results oriented business, so there’s no question that Stefanski likely feels the pressure of his 43-54 record as a head coach.

Now, it certainly sounds like Stefanski himself could potentially be open to a fresh start.