Kevin Stefanski’s seat is getting hotter

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

Second thoughts on Steelers 23, Browns 9 …

1. Two games without Joe Flacco have shown he wasn’t the entire problem. Yes, his eight turnovers in four games were low-hanging fruit for a reason for change. But the spark hoped for in bringing in Dillon Gabriel prematurely hasn’t materialized. To his credit, Gabriel has played tough and smart, and he has protected the ball (thanks to about four Pittsburgh dropped interceptions). But two turnover-free games haven’t changed the Browns’ outcomes. Gabriel has suffered from the same ailments that felled Flacco – dropped passes, offensive line breakdowns, special teams foul-ups, overall misguided game plans, and lame play-selection at key points in games. Gabriel’s insane 52 pass attempts in Pittsburgh moved the Browns to the league lead with 249 through six games, an average of 41 per game. And they led the league in pass attempts in 2024, too.

2. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin laid into Browns GM Andrew Berry for trading Flacco to a division rival. Tomlin has to face Flacco and the Bengals in Cincinnati on Thursday night. A Bengals win would tighten the two-team AFC North division race. A Steelers win would turn it into a Pittsburgh boat race. Like Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, Tomlin was shocked that Flacco was traded by Berry to the Bengals. Tomlin said at his Monday press conference, “To be honest, it was shocking to me. Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn't make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening-day starter to a division opponent that's hurting in that area. But that's just my personal feelings.” The back story, of course, is that Berry traded Flacco – perhaps at ownership instruction -- to clear the path for Shedeur Sanders to move into the QB2 spot, one play away from seeing the field for the first time. Stefanski and his coaches spent so much time giving first-team reps to Flacco and Kenny Pickett in training camp, and Berry traded both. Now Sanders is one play away and he didn’t get a single rep with the first team in training camp. This is no way to manage a quarterback room.

3. Stefanski’s seat is hotter than ever not only because: a.) his offense is averaging a league-low 13.6 points per game and hasn’t scored 20 points in the past 11 games, b.) his record since the start of 2024 is 4-19; he hasn’t been able to cut down on penalties or special teams negative plays; c.) his offensive line has been in shambles since Bill Callahan jumped ship (not Stefanski’s fault); d.) his defense is starting to point fingers at the offense (understandable). Owner Jimmy Haslam just has to look at a few other teams to see Stefanski being faded in comparison.

4. In New England, Mike Vrabel has the Patriots at 4-2 with three road wins, including a season-changer at Buffalo. Yes, Vrabel inherited a franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, but the rest of the team was a mess left by Bill Belichick’s poor drafting and Jared Mayo’s one-year coaching flop. To think that the Browns had Vrabel, an Akron native and Ohio State alum, in their building the whole 2024 season and let him leave without even considering him a successor to Stefanski is unbelievable. I asked Vrabel at the NFL Combine in February if there ever was a conversation about a permanent role with the Browns and he said no. “I would have listened,” he added.

5. In Indianapolis, Shane Steichen has the Colts at 5-1 – best record in the AFC – including a quality win against Denver. In his third season, Steichen has overcome the organization’s huge draft whiff on quarterback Anthony Richardson. Steichen has kept the Colts competitive despite constant turnover at QB (Gardner Minshew, Flacco, and now Daniel Jones). He has a 22-18 overall record and the arrow is pointing up with the Colts.

6. In Jacksonville, first-year coach Liam Coen has the Jaguars at 4-2 with impressive wins over Kansas City and San Francisco. After passing up Travis Hunter and trading the No. 2 overall pick to Jacksonville for the fifth overall pick (Mason Graham), the 36^th (Quinshon Judkins) and a No. 1 next year, the Browns were counting on the Jaguars earning another top five pick for the Browns in 2026. Wrong. Coen already has matched the Jags’ four wins of last season.

7. In Carolina, Dave Canales has the Panthers at a respectable 3-3 and apparently turning the corner in his second season. After a 1-7 start in his first season in 2024, Canales is 7-8 despite being handicapped with a quarterback, Bryce Young, who is 5-10 and barely 200 pounds. The Panthers stupidly over-traded for the rights to draft the very limited Young before Canales arrived. Young was 2-14 under first coach Frank Reich. Under Canales, Young is 7-11.

8. In Haslam’s home-state Tennessee, the Titans made the first coaching change of the season and fired Brian Callahan in his second season. Callahan’s 4-19 record is the same as Stefanski’s over that period. Callahan wasn’t able to speed the development of No. 1 pick Cam Ward, whom the Browns would have taken if he had slipped to No. 2. The Titans have scored 83 points, one more than the Browns. The Titans are the fourth team in a row to fire their coach after drafting a quarterback No. 1 overall, and sixth in the past eight years. This is relevant because the Browns might earn the No. 1 pick and use it on a quarterback. If Stefanski is spared by Haslam this season, he would be on the hot seat from Day 1 in 2026.

9. Early on Monday evening, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and the Haslam Sports Group announced an agreement that ends Bibb’s unwinnable legal fight to keep HSG from moving the Browns to a $2.5 billion covered stadium in Brook Park in 2029. The agreement includes a $100 million commitment from HSG to demolish the old stadium ($30 million estimated cost) and contribute $70 million over the next 10 years to help Bibb develop the lakefront. In return, Bibb signs off on the Browns’ move to Brook Park and respects the stadium project in the future modernization of Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport. Both parties agreed to dismiss all lawsuits related to the move to Brook Park. This is good news for the Northeast Ohio region and could be more bad news for Stefanski. With this major hurdle crossed, Haslam now is expected to direct more attention to the Browns.