Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders reflects on the firing of head coach Kevin Stefanski after a disappointing 5-12 season. Sanders showed little emotion but acknowledged Stefanski's impact on his growth. The Browns look ahead to the next season with a focus on roster improvements and a strong draft position.
While Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders closed out his 2025 season on a high note, the same couldn't be said for former head coach Kevin Stefanski , Stefanski was let go following Cleveland's 5-12 season and after six years at the helm, during which led the Browns to two playoff berths and won the Coach of the Year awards in those same years .
Sanders was asked about Stefanski's firing in his end-of-season media availability, and he showed little emotion about losing his first NFL head coach. "We just found out a couple seconds ago," Sanders said. "I think it's just overall the mentality, things gonna happen, that's just how it be here. And moving forward, just focus on what we can improve individually for the next head coach.""Coach Kev, he’s been real tough. ... And it’s good. I think I grew and I learned a lot from him,"after Week 18's season finale win over the Bengals. "I feel like we grew to understand each other."in Cleveland in his Monday press conference following the Stefanski firing. "I'm not going to get into specifics. We have a lot of work to do on the roster, particularly on the offense side," Haslam said. The Browns currently have 10 picks in the 2026 draft including two first-rounders, one of which is the No. 6 selection. Sanders added that he thought he showed enough this season to prove he can be the Browns' franchise quarterback moving forward, but that decision wasn't "in his hands." Sanders wrapped up his debut year in the pros with two big wins over the Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers and Joe Burrow-led Bengals and arguably outperformed fellow rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was drafted two rounds before him. The Colorado product went 3-4 in seven starts throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions; looking back on his rookie season, Sanders had his fair share of highlights—and lowlights—on the field and will be looking to improve his consistency and continue his development in the next chapter of his young career.. "Connecting with the guys earlier... just overall getting better, looking at everything that happened this year, what transpired, and going into next year with a fresh mind."Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.
Shedeur Sanders Kevin Stefanski Cleveland Browns NFL Coaching Change
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