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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 to be held back by Stefanski, spoke about the decision Monday as he and the rest of his Browns teammates head into the offseason.
“We just found out about it a few seconds ago,” Sanders said when asked by reporters what he thought of the news, according to the New York Post. “I think it’s just a mentality thing, things are going to happen, that’s the way the league is.
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Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski walks the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Cincinnati, January 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 fairly generic response from Sanders, whose Stefanski was the starting quarterback for the remaining seven games of the Browns’ dismal 5-12 season.
Sanders was under scrutiny the second he was drafted in the fifth round by the Browns, especially since many thought he was a first-round pick last April. That obviously didn’t happen, and his draft stock plummeted as teams, including his own, took quarterbacks ahead of him.
BROWNS FIRE HEAD COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI AFTER SIX SEASONS
Throughout training camp, and even into the regular season, many speculated that the Browns weren’t giving Sanders a fair chance to earn the right to start under center, and fingers began pointing at the head coach.
Stefanski’s role in Sanders’ rookie season has been a roller coaster ride, at least in the public eye. But Sanders mentioned that he and Stefanski began to “understand each other” while working together during their first season.
Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns stands for the national anthem before a 2025 NFL preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 8, 2025 in Charlotte. (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
“We shared different things that we were both going 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 personally over the last year.”
The Browns managed to come away with a victory in their final game of the 2025 season, 20-18 against 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 doing and I really grew through a lot of things,” Sanders said while reflecting on his rookie campaign.
The season began with Stefanski firmly asserting that veteran Joe Flacco was the starting quarterback despite Sanders and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel also on the roster. Kenny Pickett was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, making the battle between Sanders and Gabriel as Flacco’s replacement one of the biggest storylines of the summer.
Shedeur Sanders (12) and Teven Jenkins (74) of the Cleveland Browns celebrate a touchdown in 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 ultimately started six games after Flacco was traded to the Bengals midseason. Gabriel went just 1-5 in those starts, and following a concussion, Sanders was next to try his hand at the starting role.
He won his first start against the Raiders and went 3-4 overall in seven starts. Sanders threw for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while completing 56.6 percent of his throws.
The Browns won’t commit to Sanders, or any quarterback for that matter, until 2026 because they want to solidify their next head coach and allow that person to decide what’s best for the franchise. Cleveland also has Deshaun Watson under contract for next season, and general manager Andrew Berry says they expect the troubled signal-caller to be with the team ahead of the 2026 campaign.
“I’m not going to go into details. We have a lot of work to do on the roster, particularly on the offensive side,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam also said on Monday.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders speaks during a news 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 could be back on his feet 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 their own head coaching vacancy.
Stefanski is a two-time Coach of the Year winner with the Browns, helping the franchise to two playoff appearances during his six years with the team (2020, 2023). He went 45-56 in 101 games with the franchise.
