Kevin Stefanski developed a reputation as one of the best offensive minds in the game. In fact, he has won NFL Coach of the Year twice since taking over the Cleveland Browns.
However, with the Browns heading toward another season well below .500, Stefanski’s future as Cleveland’s head coach is rumored to be in jeopardy. His failure to develop rookie quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this season has his status crumbling.
The analyst known as ‘Football Chopz’ recently said Stefanski has a disturbing coaching trend.
“Stefanski coaches aggressiveness out of quarterbacks,” Zach Frydenlund said.
Whether or not you like Shedeur, this is a trend across multiple QBs now. https://t.co/jYZUx9f1Dy
— Football Chopz (@Pchopz_) December 22, 2025
After Gabriel took over as the starter from Joe Flacco, the Browns’ downfield passing game virtually disappeared. It was generally perceived that this was because of Gabriel’s lack of arm strength, but it also had a lot to do with Stefanski’s conservative play-calling.
After Gabriel was injured, Sanders became the starter, and big passing plays became more noticeable. But many observers feel they still are not being seen enough.
Stefanski earned his coaching honors in 2020 and 2023, when the Browns made the playoffs with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Joe Flacco, respectively. Each of them was known for their aggressive passing approach.
It can be argued that it is wise to be careful with a rookie quarterback running the offense, especially when neither Gabriel nor Sanders was a first-round pick. However, the results speak for themselves, and Cleveland has won just six of 32 games over the past two seasons.
With a top-two pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, an increasingly possible scenario, the Browns may decide to develop another new quarterback with someone other than Stefanski in charge.
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