The Cleveland Browns have three games left in the 2025 NFL season and a whole lot of questions about what the future might hold. That likely starts with the future of head coach Kevin Stefanski and, potentially, general manager Andrew Berry. Most Browns fans are expecting Stefanski to be fired, with the primary conversation around the team being about his potential replacement, as well as QB Shedeur Sanders .
According to multiple reports, Stefanski has a bright future, with most admitting that the
offensive roster is quite limited in Cleveland. Those excuses have only gone so far, even if everyone agrees that the trade for QB Deshaun Watson set the team back much further than almost anyone could have imagined.
If the Browns head coaching spot becomes available, Bill Barnwell of ESPN has it ranked as the third-best spot (fifth if Andy Reid and Mike Tomlin are fired) for coaching candidates with cap space and draft capital projected as:
Projected 2026 cap space: 26th most ($7.9 million)
Projected 2026 draft capital: fourth most
Barnwell notes the positives in Cleveland are Berry’s 2025 NFL draft class, 2026 NFL draft capital, and the freedom to rebuild almost from scratch. He also notes that ownership is inconsistent and winning games is likely a year or two away:
Regardless of whether the Browns draft that quarterback in 2026 or 2027, Cleveland is probably still not going to be in position to be truly competitive until 2027 at the earliest. The Browns will have more than $131 million in Watson cap charges to pay off between those two seasons, with the timing of how that’s split depending on whether they cut Watson or let him play out the final year of his deal in Cleveland. Their roster still has major holes, and the Browns will need to rebuild virtually their entire offensive line, given that four of their five starters are free agents (and Jack Conklin, the fifth, could be a cap casualty).
The presence of Watson and his contract, the lack of top-flight certainty at the QB position in the 2026 NFL draft, and the long-haul rebuild needed, on top of the ownership, will likely cool the interest from a lot of top candidates. The young talent and top draft picks could be intriguing for a few looking to take on a head coaching job, there are only 32 after all, but most quality candidates want a good chance to succeed, not just a job.
How do you think head coaching candidates will see the Browns job if Stefanski is fired? What are the good and bad of the position?
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