Three next steps for Browns after firing Kevin Stefanski

The Cleveland Browns are in an all hands on deck situation.

Cleveland's front office has officially decided to move on from head coach Kevin Stefanski and close the six-year chapter of him at the helm. In a corresponding announcement, the front office did decide to stick with general manager Andrew Berry, primarily due to the outstanding rookie class he brought in, signing of kicker Andre Szmyt and trade for defensive back Tyson Campbell.

When speaking to the media following the decision to move on from Stefanski, owner Jimmy Haslam echoed the sentiment that the Browns have to hit the nail on the head and make sound decisions moving forward.

“The next 120 days are crucial for the organization," Haslam said.

“The next 120 days are crucial for the organization” - Jimmy Haslam #Browns

-coaching search
-free agency
-10 draft picks
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) January 5, 2026

Coaching Search

After firing Stefanski, Cleveland's going to have to monitor the coaching market in hopes of finding their next leader, not only someone who can control the locker room but also one who can help win games. The Browns currently have a very young roster, with plenty of their best players being rookies.

As of now, all signs point to the team planning to give the reins of the offense to Shedeur Sanders with hopes of him being the franchise quarterback. However, he did have some bumps in the road as the year came to a close, with the Browns needing to ensure that the next head coach is able to develop and guide him to success.

The current candidates for the job include current Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, current Houston Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke, current San Francisco 49ers head coach Robert Salah and former head coach of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys Mike McCarthy, just to name a few.

The job in Cleveland isn't going to turn a lot of heads, especially due to the track record the organization has had in the past decade, but someone looking to get a head coaching job and prove that they can build a team up may take a chance on it.

Free Agency

This is going to be a tough part of the offseason, maybe even more difficult than finding a new head coach or preparing for the draft.

Ever since the front office traded for Deshaun Watson back in March 2022, they've been in the trash can with cap capabilities. Heading into 2026, the Browns are expected to have the seventh-lowest cap space in the league at a mark of $3,081,202. While they will more than likely adjust certain contracts and restructure them, or trade away players that struggled this past season, they'll still be slated to have very little freedom.

The first priority should be signing a few members of the team who were on the final year of their contract in 2025, including linebacker Devin Bush and defensive tackle Shelby Harris. The front office will also probably try to keep one of the veteran guards, Joel Bitonio or Wyatt Teller, just to have a veteran presence in the locker room.

Free agency will likely be uneventful, but is still very important to try and keep the culture being built intact.

2026 NFL Draft

The 2025 class was incredible.

Berry, Stefanski and the front office was able to bring in countless players that ended up playing legitimate roles on the team this past season. The rookies ended up leading the team in passing, rushing, receiving and tackles, marking a stacked group of contributors that are poised to get even better in their second seasons in the league.

With that being said, that sets the bar high yet again. In the upcoming draft, Cleveland has to find relatively similar success, especially with critical needs being present. Holes have begun to open up on the offensive line, in the wide receiver room and on the defensive front.

Those three areas of the team are unlikely to be addressed very well in free agency, meaning the success the front office has in the draft is going to drastically affect the team's future.