The NFL closes out the 2025 regular season this weekend, which means we are just days away from what is commonly referred to as “Black Monday” across the league.
That designation refers to the day after the last game when teams decide the time is right to make a change at head coach, general manager, or sometimes both. It is a day that can bring a sense of relief for fans tired of seeing their favorite team bungle another season, or a sense of “here we go again” for those exhausted by the prospect
of yet another rebuild.
The Cleveland Browns used to be frequent participants as they cycled through head coaches and general managers so frequently that it was hard to keep track of everyone. Did Rob Chudzinski actually coach the Browns, or was that just a fevered dream? Has anyone checked to see if George Kokinis is still locked in an office in Berea, or did someone remember to let him out?
The franchise mercifully got off that trend in 2020 with the hiring of head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. A pair of playoff appearances soon followed, along with far too much quarterback drama thanks to the trade for Deshaun Watson and the drafting of Shedeur Sanders.
Now, after six seasons in charge and with the franchise heading into its latest “most important offseason,” are the winds of change about to blow through Berea once again?
No one knows what is going through the mind of owner Jimmy Haslam when he is not otherwise occupied with the details of the new stadium in Brook Park, but that has not stopped the rumors stacked on top of innuendos and tied up with “senses” about what will happen come Monday morning, especially as it relates to Stefanski.
So what do people think will happen? Let’s take a quick rundown of some of the latest musings.
Terry Pluto, who is as tied in to the front offices of Cleveland’s sports teams as anyone, believes the end is here for Stefanski, but not for Berry:
Yes, I believe Stefanski will be fired. I don’t know that for a fact. With the Browns, things can always change – but I’d be shocked if Stefanski comes back. My prediction is Andrew Berry remains as GM and runs the 2026 draft. Stefanski ends up coaching somewhere else next season.
Dianna Russini at The Athletic is of a similar mindset about Stefanski, but Berry may not be as safe as some might believe:
The Cleveland Browns have done some background work to gather information on potential head-coaching options and are leaning toward moving on from two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. With the success of EVP and general manager Andrew Berry’s most recent draft, he’s likely to stay, but those discussions are ongoing heading into Cleveland’s final game at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Browns are 4-12 after finishing 3-14 in 2024.
Albert Breer and Conor Orr at Sports Illustrated are hedging their bets about what Haslam might do, while also putting forth the idea that the Browns may have an asset to use in their current head coach:
(Paul DePodesta leaving) did, though, open up discussion of a restructure that might move GM Andrew Berry into a president-of-football-ops type of role—something that, at least at this point, looks like it won’t happen.
So with the team at the bottom of the AFC North for a second straight year, that leaves
ownership to decide who to go forward with. And the plan is to meet after Sunday’s season finale in Cincinnati to discuss that, with a decision on the future of Berry and Kevin Stefanski coming thereafter. Berry, at this point, seems likely to stay. Stefanski’s future is murkier, though the Haslams still like their coach and how he and Berry work together.Speaking of the Browns, there was some league-wide chatter about the potential of a Kevin Stefanski trade—“smoke,” as one industry source put it—though the mechanics of a coaching trade are extremely difficult to pull off and, at least as of Friday, it didn’t feel imminent or even expected. That said, at the very least, it shows how highly Stefanski might be positioned in this coaching cycle if he were a rising coordinator. The ball will be in Cleveland’s court to manage a situation in which they have an asset who is coveted by other teams.
Finally, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero at NFL.com echo the belief that nothing has been decided, while also raising a key question that should be part of the discussion:
Everyone in Cleveland has been frustrated with the results over the past two seasons. But owner Jimmy Haslam has planned to wait for the final results – including Sunday’s game against Cincinnati – before finalizing any decisions.
It’s rare for a two-time NFL Coach of the Year to have his job in question. But that’s the reality for Kevin Stefanski, who, along with GM Andrew Berry, helped restore order and respectability to Cleveland. Both received contract extensions after the team’s playoff appearance in 2023; the Browns are 7-26 since.
The question ownership must ask now is, have they given people they believe in – namely, a coach in Stefanski who would immediately become a candidate elsewhere – the best opportunity to succeed?
The expectation is that Browns brass will regroup on Monday before deciding how to proceed.
So what can we take away from all this?
- Anyone who believes an announcement will be made within seconds of the final whistle on Sunday in Cincinnati is likely to be disappointed.
- It is a good sign that team officials are at least reportedly still planning to meet before making a final decision. While the outcome of Sunday’s game and last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers will have no bearing on the decision, thinking before acting is never a bad thing. Otherwise, you might end up with Eric Mangini or Hue Jackson as your head coach.
- The perception of Stefanski outside of Cleveland continues to be more favorable than inside of Cleveland.
- Seven wins in two seasons is clearly not good. But there are also extenuating circumstances to take into consideration, namely the nightmare at quarterback ever since Watson arrived in town.
- It is always easier to fire a head coach than to hire one, which is something the Browns proved time and time again from 1999 to 2020.
- The people responsible for the current mess are the ones who will be deciding on a new head coach if they fire Stefanski. Does that reality fill anyone with even a little bit of confidence?
Ultimately, no one knows what the owners are thinking, and their vote is the only one that matters. The good news is we are only a few days away from an end to all the speculation about the future employment of Stefanski and Berry.
What are your thoughts about the fate of Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry? Let us know in the comments!
