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The Cleveland Browns will be looking for another head coach after giving Kevin Stefanski the ax on “Black Monday” after six seasons with the franchise.
Shedeur Sanders, the rookie quarterback who fans believed was being held back by Stefanski, spoke about the move on Monday as he and the rest of his Browns teammates head into the offseason.
“We just found out a few seconds ago,” Sanders said when asked by reporters what he thought of the news, according to The New York Post. “I think that’s the overall mentality, things will happen, that’s just the way the league is.
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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski walks on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati on Jan. 4, 2026. (Jeff Dean/AP Photo)
“And going forward, just focus on what we can improve individually for the next head coach.”
It was a pretty generic response from Sanders, who made Stefanski the starting quarterback for the remaining seven games of the Browns’ dismal 5-12 season.
Sanders was under scrutiny when he was drafted in the fifth round by the Browns, especially considering many thought he was a first-round pick last April. That obviously wasn’t going to happen, and his draft stock plummeted as teams including his own took quarterbacks ahead of him.
BROWNS FOUR HEAD COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI AFTER SIX SEASONS
Throughout training camp, and even into the regular season, many speculated that the Browns didn’t give Sanders a fair chance to earn the right to start under center, and fingers began to point at the head coach.
Stefanski’s role in Sanders’ rookie season was a rollercoaster, at least in the public eye. But Sanders mentioned that he and Stefanski began to “grow to understand each other” as they worked in their first season together.
Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem prior to an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 8, 2025 in Charlotte. (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
“We would share different things that we would both go through,” Sanders explained. “I know he wanted this win and I know he wants every win, but I know this one means a lot.”
“I wish we all played as a team,” he continued. “And I wish we could have done more in person within this last year.”
The Browns were able to come away with a win in their final game of the 2025 season, 20-18 over the Cincinnati Bengals, as Sanders threw for 11 yards on 11-of-22 passing with a lost fumble.
“I think I did what I was capable of and I definitely grew from a lot of things,” Sanders said, reflecting on his rookie campaign.
The season started with Stefanski consistently saying veteran Joe Flacco was the starting quarterback despite Sanders and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel also being on the roster. Kenny Pickett was traded away to the Las Vegas Raiders, making the battle between Sanders and Gabriel as Flacco’s backup one of the best stories of the summer.
Cleveland Browns’ Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) celebrate a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
Stefanski ultimately chose Gabriel, who ended up starting six games after Flacco was traded to the Bengals midseason. Gabriel went just 1-5 in those starts, and after a concussion, Sanders was up next to try his hand at the starting role.
He won his first start against the Raiders and went 3-4 overall over seven starts. Sanders threw for just 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns to 10 interceptions while completing 56.6% of his throws.
The Browns will not commit to Sanders, or any quarterback for that matter, heading into 2026 as they want to solidify their next head coach and allow that person to decide what is best for the franchise. Cleveland also has Deshaun Watson under contract for next season, and GM Andrew Berry says they expect the embattled signal caller to be with the team heading into the 2026 campaign.
“I don’t want to get into the specifics. We have a lot of work to do on the roster, especially on the offensive end,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam also said Monday.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders speaks at a press conference after an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Cleveland. (Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo)
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Meanwhile, Stefanski may be right back in a head coaching role elsewhere in the NFL, as ESPN reports that the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans are expected to bring him in to discuss head coaching positions of their own.
Stefanski won Coach of the Year twice with the Browns and helped lead the franchise to two playoff appearances during his six years with the team (2020, 2023). He went 45-56 over 101 games with the franchise.
