As smoke about the Browns moving on from Kevin Stefanski has emerged, Andrew Berry continues to skate by without many indications his job is in jeopardy. As the Browns wrap another disappointing season, they do not appear ready to fire their GM.
Despite the Browns being 7-26 over the past two seasons and still on the hook for the Deshaun Watson contractual catastrophe, Berry remains the point man. He is on track to be retained for a seventh year, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano write. The veteran GM has operated like someone who believes he is coming back, per Fowler, with Graziano adding he has received “no indication” a Cleveland GM change is coming.
A November report indicated a chance at a housecleaning exists, but were the Berry-Stefanski duo to be split, the GM would be more likely to stay. Meddling from ownership also has been rumored during Berry’s tenure. That is certainly not out of character for how Jimmy Haslam operated in the early years of his tenure, though the oft-criticized owner has refrained from impulse firings this decade — after a slew of quick-trigger decisions in the 2010s. Berry and Stefanski have been in place since 2020; both received extensions before the 2024 season.
It can be argued Berry is more at fault for where the Browns are than Stefanski. After all, the sixth-year HC is a two-time Coach of the Year who has made his offense work with a few quarterbacks. Watson was not one of those, and the five-year, $230MM contract has defined this regime’s run. In 2022, Haslam said Berry hatched the scheme to fully guarantee Watson’s contract. The owner has not retracted this, but he did admit an organizational mistake on Watson this offseason. Berry also said Browns brass was aligned on Watson when discussing the controversial trade last year.
The QB was believed to be headed to Atlanta before the Browns reentered the race with their outlier guarantee. Berry remaining employed nearly four years after the team authorized the worst contract in NFL history on his watch does point to Haslam being hands-on for that move. Watson’s contract has veered into the MLB/NBA sunk-cost stratum, with the dead money — thanks in large part to many Berry-authorized restructures — so massive it appears the Browns will be forced to retain him in 2026 as well.
The Browns look to have also identified some pieces in this draft, having seen Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin enjoy quality rookie seasons. That lot of Day 2 draftees came after the team moved out of the Travis Hunter slot, adding additional first- and second-round capital to do so, to select defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5. Pro Football Focus has Graham 34th among over 100 interior D-line regulars this season. This has not translated to wins, but ownership may believe Berry can guide the Browns out of the mess they have created.
This is Berry’s second stint in Cleveland. He was in place during the ill-fated Sashi Brown– and Paul DePodesta-directed rebuild from 2016-17. The Browns brought him back (from the Eagles) after firing John Dorsey following the 2019 season (DePodesta is now back in baseball, joining the Colorado Rockies). Two of the team’s three playoff berths since its 1999 relaunch have come on Berry and Stefanski’s watch, which will make for an interesting decision after this season wraps at either 5-12 or 4-13.
Stefanski has been linked to the Giants in a possible trade, and Fowler notes some around the league wonder if the ex-Vikings OC being the would be the strongest retread candidate were the Browns to fire him. The retread crop includes Robert Saleh, Vance Joseph and Mike McCarthy. Mike McDaniel could also qualify if the Dolphins move on, which may be close to a 50-50 proposition at this point. If the Browns fire Stefanski, Fowler also points to the team having interest in McDaniel were he to be let go.
That would be a fascinating switch. Most teams go in different directions after firing a coach, but a Stefanski-for-McDaniel swap would be firing an offensive coach on the younger side and then hiring a similar option (Stefanski is 43, McDaniel 42).
Any thought of this switch would seemingly be aimed at McDaniel maximizing Cleveland’s offense in a way Stefanski has been unable to over the past two seasons. McDaniel is far from certain to be out in Miami, but with the AFC East club set to hire a new GM, his standing is murky ahead of Week 18. It appears both Stefanski and McDaniel would garner immediate HC interest — on a market without many surefire offense-based candidates — if fired.
Giants are not trading for a losing coach. They need a coach who knows how to win and can bring a winning culture to the team. The culture in Cleveland was terrible under stefanski
2 time coach of the year winner. When he has a decent quarterback who off some sort of threat in the air which frees up the play action game he’s acc a a really quality play caller and overall leader. The biggest blot on his resume being the whole Watson debacle I sort of don’t know where to stand on that being that I don’t know how much of that trade was Haslem having made his de and basically forcing berry and stefanski to sign off on it or did they actually like the move. But overall if I’m any team in the nfl who wants a good coach who kn how to run an offense with decent weapons I’d jump on him in a heartbeat.
And the a Giants culture has pretty much been worse based on the revolving door of coaches. So safe to say Stefanski is better than what the Giants have had.
Completely baffling, took a playoff team and ran it into the ground but one good draft saves his job. He and Stefanski should go.
Nothing changes in Cleveland if Haslam is still there. Dude meddles in everything.
I think the good franchises just watch what the Browns do and simply do the opposite……..