Since leaving the Minnesota Vikings to become the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2020, Kevin Stefanski has won the NFL's Coach of the Year award in two of the last three seasons. But this year, Stefanski might actually be closer to getting fired than getting another coaching award.
On Sunday, the Browns saw their record fall to 1-4 this season after suffering a 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders. Some believe Cleveland needs to bench quarterback Deshaun Watson in order to turn things around, and Stefanski shared his thoughts on that subject after the loss to the Commanders.
"Yeah, we're not changing quarterbacks. We need to play better. I need to coach better, and that's really what it is."
Former Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin Stefanski not looking to bench Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Last season, Stefanski helped lead Cleveland to an 11-6 record and a spot in the playoffs despite the team needing to start five different quarterbacks throughout the year. This season, Watson has been the only signal-caller to start for the Browns, and the team has one win in their first five games.
In Watson's five starts this season, he's completed 60.2 percent of his passes, averaged 170.4 passing yards per matchup and 4.8 yards per throw, tossed five touchdowns and three interceptions, and generated a passer rating of 74.8.
Cleveland's top quarterback currently has a passer rating that is worse than guys around the league like Skylar Thompson, Daniel Jones, and Gardner Minshew. Watson is one of the highest-paid signal-callers in the NFL, but he's playing like a career backup this season.
If Stefanski doesn't want to bench him now, then what is it going to take? If he thinks Watson is going to somehow get better in the next few weeks, then that would be incredibly foolish.
Watson has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league since he joined the Browns in 2021, and there are no reasons to believe that this is going to change anytime soon.
Stefanski might think his job in Cleveland is safe after winning two Coach of the Year awards in the last two seasons, but he's also part of a franchise that has had seven different head coaches since Jimmy Haslam became its owner in 2012. No Browns head coach should ever feel good about their job security as long as Haslam is the team's owner.
So, is Stefanski prepared to lose his job if Watson isn't able to turn things around sooner rather than later? Because if he's not, then the former Minnesota assistant coach likely going to be in for a rude awakening if he keeps rolling with one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL as Cleveland's starter.