Should the Browns regret firing Kevin Stefanski after being hired by Falcons?

After the latest news of the Atlanta Falcons hiring Kevin Stefanski to be their new head coach, should the Cleveland Browns regret letting him go?

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski stands on the sideline during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

The second domino has fallen in the NFC coaching carousel as the Cleveland Browns saw their former head coach, Kevin Stefanski, land a new job.

News came in during the NFL's Divisional Round playoffs as the Atlanta Falcons and Stefanski agreed on a five-year deal to become the next head coach. Stefanski had spent the last six years in Cleveland, going 45-56 during that span, taking the Browns to the playoffs twice, with one win, and earning NFL Coach of the Year honors twice.

After the success of the 2023 season, though, things started to go in the wrong direction for the Browns. Stefanski went 8-27 over the last two years as the head coach of Cleveland.

This has led many to wonder whether the Browns made the right decision with Stefanski, given how fast he got hired, as he is the second one, behind John Harbaugh, to the New York Giants. That leaves the top two candidates off the board for the head coach position, and now the real fight begins to find the right man.

Who will coach the Browns in 2026?

The Browns have already interviewed many young coordinators in the NFL as they try to attract the right coach to the team. They already have the talent in place, with Myles Garrett headlining the group.

What will really sell the Browns' job is the work they did in the 2021 NFL Draft, with multiple starters coming from that class. Those top players include Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Carson Schwesinger, Harold Fannin Jr., and Shedeur Sanders.

Stefanski had made good progress in developing the young players, as it was clear that the coaching staff he had in place was the right one for the job. The biggest struggle was the offense and the play-calling from Stefanski, who now had two straight years of giving up play-calling to the offensive coordinator.

Even though they weren't winning, the progress was good enough that Browns fans were optimistic about the future. The issue is whether the Browns can find a candidate better than Stefanski.

This year's coaching carousel has good names out there, like Klint Kubiak, but none of them were at the level of Ben Johnson. While the candidates are strong for Cleveland, will any of them be able to do the same work that Johnson and Liam Coen did with their teams in Year 1 is the biggest question.

Cleveland seems to believe so, but Stefanski's quick hire just shows that the NFL values what he has done as a head coach. The Browns might end up living with regret if he succeeds with a solid Falcons team and Cleveland is back with another year in the rebuild phase of the franchise.