Cleveland Browns fire head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons
The Cleveland Browns fire head coach Kevin Stefanski after suffering a second straight losing season in his six seasons since taking charge in 2020; Stefanski won Coach of the Year twice during his time in Cleveland, leading them to their first playoff berth in 18 years in his first season
Monday 5 January 2026 19:48, UK
The Cleveland Browns have fired head coach Kevin Stefanski following six seasons in charge.
Stefanski's Browns finished the regular season 5-12 in their second straight losing campaign and the fourth of his tenure in Cleveland.
He becomes the fourth NFL head coach to be fired this season behind Brian Callahan with the Tennessee Titans, Brian Daboll with the New York Giants and Raheem Morris, who was dismissed by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night.
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"We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin's leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons," Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement.
"He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary."
Stefanski was hired as head coach in 2020 before leading Cleveland to their first playoff berth since 2002 in his first season in charge, as well as the franchise's first playoff victory since 1994 as the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round.
He was subsequently named NFL Coach of the Year, a feat he would achieve again following the 2023 campaign as Cleveland reached the playoffs behind Comeback Player of the Year veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
The Browns would slump to 3-14 the following season, before missing out on the postseason once again this year as quarterback issues continued to plague their progress.
"I am disappointed that we could not accomplish more together and the collective underperformance of our group is something I own," said General Manager Andrew Berry in a statement. "We will remain steadfast in our commitment to our fans in building the Browns into an organization that sustains success.
"Now, our attention turns to the search for the person to lead and develop what will be a young offense with heavy investment over the next six months to match and build on the performance of a young defense that is already playing at an elite level."
Stefanski, who leaves with a 45-56 record in the regular season, had ignited progress for the long-irrelevant Browns behind quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Disaster ensued when Cleveland traded for former Houston Texans Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson before handing him a five-year $230m extension in 2022. Watson had sat out the entire 2021 campaign amid allegations of sexual harassment, before missing the first 11 games of the 2022 campaign through suspension.
Injuries and dismal form would then see Watson manage just 13 games over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns as the Browns were made to rue what Jimmy Haslam would later admit to being a "big swing and miss" with their deal for the quarterback.
It was behind Flacco that the Browns clinched a surprise playoff berth in 2023, supported by a Myles Garrett-led defense consistently ranked among the best in the league. Jim Schwartz would see his unit maintain that reputation over the next two years, only for further quarterback uncertainty to arise this season as Stefanski experimented with both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
Cardinals part with Gannon
The Arizona Cardinals have also parted ways with head coach Jonathan Gannon after a third straight losing season.
Arizona finished the campaign 3-14 after nine straight defeats including their Week 18 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
General manager Monti Ossenfort will stay in his role as the Cardinals enter another offseason of change, having reached the playoffs just once since 2016.
The 43-year-old Gannon finished his tenure with a 15-36 record. Gannon expressed optimism in recent weeks that he would return for a fourth season, but owner Michael Bidwill had other ideas, opting to look for the franchise's 13th head coach since moving to Arizona in 1988.
The Cardinals had an 8-9 record last year in Gannon's second season and the franchise appeared on the upswing. Two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray was in his prime and Ossenfort spent much of the offseason upgrading the defense, adding veteran pieces like Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell.
Arizona actually won their first two games of the season, though that would prove to be the high point. The Cardinals lost the next five games by a combined 13 points, including three straight on last-second field goals.
Gannon was hired in 2023 after two seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, who reached the Super Bowl during his final year before losing to the Chiefs.
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