The Cleveland Browns might be looking for a new quarterback and a new head coach come next spring if things continue as they have through 12 games this season.
Cleveland in 3-9 and still has zero answers offensively. Zac Jackson of The Athletic outlined why new starting QB Shedeur Sanders deserves a bit more time to prove himself as a viable option, while the rest of the offense — including head coach Kevin Stefanski — does not.
“The story of the day is that the Browns are just bad, have completely wasted a strong defense and embarrassed themselves versus the 49ers,” Jackson wrote November 30. “Last year’s Browns went 3-14 with a horrible offense, a quarterback carousel and long-term worries about roster quality in important areas. This year’s Browns are similar in many ways and worse at punt coverage. This offense stinks out loud, even with Sanders showing some level of promise and [tight end Harold] Fannin and running back Quinshon Judkins putting up strong numbers.”
Quick turnarounds are possible in the NFL, particularly given the parity. Mike Vrabel has the New England Patriots (11-2) with the best record in the league, while fellow first-year head coach Ben Johnson has the recently hapless Chicago Bears (9-3) currently holding onto the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Browns field one of the better defenses in the sport and have some pieces on offense. As such, hiring the right coach who can find the right QB could have Cleveland competing in a real way come next season, or 2027 at the latest.
It is possible that Marcus Freeman, the lead man at Notre Dame, could be that guy.
Marcus Freeman Getting NFL Buzz Ahead of 2026 Season
GettyNotre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman.
Browns fans will no doubt be familiar with Freeman, who has coached the Fighting Irish back to relevancy just a four-hour jaunt down Interstate 80.
Notre Dame is currently projected as the No. 10 seed in the College Football Playoff, per ESPN, and has won 10 games in a row following two consecutive losses to ranked opponents to begin the year. The team made it to the CFP title game last season, losing to Ohio State by in the championship.
Freeman, 39, coached one game in 2021 and took over full-time head duties the following season. He is 43-12 at Notre Dame and 5-2 in bowl games, including three wins last postseason.
“NFL teams, including the Bears last year, have inquired about Freeman in recent years amidst his meteoric rise in coaching, from his first [graduate assistant] job at his alma mater (Ohio State) in 2010 to his appointment as head coach of one of college football’s most iconic programs (Notre Dame) 11 years later,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network wrote on November 19. “He’s an engaging presence who will win the interview — if and when he’s willing to take one.”
Cleveland Media Calling for Kevin Stefanski’s Job
GettyCleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski, meanwhile, is 43-53 with the Browns over a six-year span. Cleveland is also 1-2 in two trips to the playoffs on his watch.
Media members in Cleveland have been on Stefanski all season, first for his handling of the quarterback situation and delayed decision to play Sanders, and now some like Tony Rizzo are outright calling for his job.
“Folks, I’m going to tell you something right now. I know owners of sports teams who would have fired these people on the spot yesterday. Enough. Enough of this. You have to be out of your mind to watch this garbage. The Browns are garbage,” Rizzo said Monday on ESPN Cleveland. “How in the hell does Stefanski have a job? … I’m done with everybody. Get out, everybody.”
The Browns have two first-round picks in next year’s draft, theirs and one from the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Cleveland’s own selection should end up somewhere in the top 10. That will put the Browns in prime position to move up in the draft for a top signal-caller in a much deeper class than existed in 2025, during which the team selected two rookie QBs.
If Stefanski is unlikely to finish next season as the head coach absent a drastic turnaround, then logic dictates the Browns move on from him after this year and let his successor — be that Freeman or some other new coach — make the call on the team’s next swing at a franchise quarterback.
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