Former Vikings Coach on the Hot Seat
With six weeks of NFL regular season action in the books, coaching hot seats can evidently be established, and former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator-turned-Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski’s chair is warming up.
It was a bit predictable, but one ex-Minnesota Vikings coach is formally on the hot seat, at least in the estimation of NFL-themed media.
CBS Sports published an article this week detailing hot-seat-adjacent skippers. Stefanksi got the nod.
Ex-Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski May Be Out Soon in CLE
Stefanski has run the show for six seasons in Cleveland.
Kevin Stefanksi Hits the Hot Seat
After losing to the Vikings in London in Week 5 and the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, the Browns have begun to hit rock bottom with a 1-5 record. Accordingly, Stefanski’s hot seat projection grew warmer. CBS Sports‘ Jeff Kerr sized up all coaches on the hot seat, with Stefanski checking in at No. 3.
He wrote, “The beginning of the end appears to be happening for Stefanski, as the Browns’ failures in the front office with Deshaun Watson had led to a good head coach fighting for his job. The Browns did trade Joe Flacco to a division rival after starting Dillon Gabriel, but it’s fair to wonder how long the leash is for him. Could there be enough public outcry to force the Browns to start Shedeur Sanders?”
“The Browns have done an excellent job with their 2025 draft class, and they have one of the best defenses in football under Jim Schwartz (23.9 yards per possession allowed is first in NFL). The Browns team is a quarterback away from being competitive, but will Stefanski be around long enough to get that chance? If the Browns move on, Stefanski will get another head coaching job somewhere. This mess isn’t on him.”
Per Kerr, Miami Dolphins skipper Mike McDaniel led the way for hot seats, with Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets at No. 2.
A Strange Coaching Record
Think Stefanski is an elite coach? The numbers suggest otherwise.
Since taking the big job with the Browns, Stefanski has tabulated a 41-49 (.456) win-loss record, a mark that might stun casual fans, as Stefanski is usually considered a Top 12 or so NFL coach.
The man has also won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award twice, furthering the enigma of his tenure in Cleveland. His team has reached the postseason two times since the start of 2020, obviously not getting very far but notably winning the Browns’ first playoff game in eons during his first season, even though Stefanski didn’t personally coach that day due to COVID.
In short, Stefanksi’s 41-49 record might be coming home to roost.
The Browns’ Numbers in 2025
Here’s where the numbers stack for Cleveland so far this season:
- Defense EPA/Play: 10th
- Defense DVOA: 11th
- Overall Team DVOA: 27th
- PFF Power Ranking: 30th
- Offense DVOA: 31st
- Offense EPA/Play: 31st
Stefanski’s club is a damn good defensive unit, with awful woes on offense — probably because the franchise rolled with 40-year-old Joe Flacco to start the season, benched him for a mid-round rookie in Dillon Gabriel, and then traded Flacco to the rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Unless Gabriel takes off in an unforeseen manner, the Browns are a sinking ship, and virtually nobody disputes it. Hence, the hot seat for Stefanski.
Always a Baker Mayfield Reflection + Deshaun Watson Wince
Of course, none of this may be Stefanski’s fault.
In 2022, Cleveland opted to end the Baker Mayfield era in favor of Deshaun Watson, who was later suspended for alleged sexual assault. Mayfield is currently a leading MVP candidate with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Watson doesn’t play because of a bad Achilles tendon. And, for the record, when the healthy version of Watson played in 2024 and prior, he stunk.
The working theory suggests that the Browns’ ownership desperately wanted Watson over Mayfield, and Stefanski just had to make do.
His reward? A hot seat in 2025.
Kerr on Mike McDaniel, Aaron Glenn
Kerr added on McDaniel’s job security down in Miami: “Surprising McDaniel wasn’t the first head coach to be relieved of his duties in 2025, but that demonstrates how bad Callahan was. The Dolphins lost a heartbreaker to the Chargers on Sunday to fall to 1-5, with the lone victory this season being against the Jets.”
“The Dolphins fought hard, which was a tip in McDaniel’s cap. Then Tua Tagovailoa stood at the podium saying Dolphins players were late for players-only meeting, calling them out in a public press conference. That’s a very bad look for the quarterback of the Dolphins and his head coach, who is fighting for his job every week.”
And on first-year skipper Aaron Glenn with the Jets: “Can things get any worse for Glenn and the Jets? New York is the only winless team in the NFL at 0-6 and had chances to steal victories this season. The Jets aren’t a talented roster, but are they this bad? This is where Glenn’s mismanagement and feel for the game comes in.”
“The halftime debacle on Sunday was laughable, as Glenn calls for a fake punt, converts it, then lets the time run out before halftime a few plays later. Garrett Wilson was visibly upset, while Glenn appeared to show no trust in Justin Fields as his quarterback — then decides to chide the media asking him about a potential change.”
If the Browns pull the trigger on Stefanski’s termination, he’ll almost certainly fetch another head coach assignment within two offseasons. He’s that respected despite the mediocre record.
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