Browns coach Kevin Stefanski admits he understands pressure about job status
The temperature has warmed on Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as his team fell to 1–5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
It’s impossible to go around town without hearing Cleveland pundits questioning Stefanski’s job security moving forward.
But according to Stefanski at his press conference on Wednesday, he has not heard that noise.
“I don’t listen to it,” Stefanski said bluntly when he was asked about how he deals with outside noise and criticism.
Stefanski is 41-49 as the head coach of the Browns. His early success in Cleveland allowed him to win NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2020 and 2023. Stefanski was lauded as a coach that could get the most out of his quarterbacks and his rosters and looked to be one of the brightest, young offensive minds in the sport.
But that starpower has dimmed. Stefanski’s offense is the worst in football. He’s tried everything from changing coordinators and position coaches to handing off play calling responsibilities.
This season was supposed to be where Stefanski took over the reins of his team. The Browns were finally able to move on from the Deshaun Watson disaster after he ruptured his Achilles tendon twice. They fired Ken Dorsey and promoted Tommy Rees, another young offensive mind that was supposed to modernize Stefanski’s offense for a modern NFL.
But it has not happened. The Browns benched veteran quarterback Joe Flacco and traded him to the Cincinnati Bengals, eliminating any threat that he would ever start games for the Browns again.
The Browns decided to move forward with rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel. Many pundits have noted how much Stefanski loved Gabriel’s understanding of the game and experience in college football. Through two starts, Gabriel has underwhelmed and looks like a backup quarterback – not a long-term answer.
As another season spirals with no end in sight, of course the pressure on Stefanski has magnified. The Browns are 4-19 over the last two seasons. The Tennessee Titans just fired head coach Brian Callahan who had that same record in his first two seasons.
The head coach desperately needs to find a way to stack some wins together in Cleveland. The Browns host the 1-5 Miami Dolphins on Sunday. They also have favorable matchups against the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders before the calendar flips to December.
During the preseason, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam quipped that three wins was not going to cut it. The Browns are one third of the way through their schedule and currently only have one victory.
“I grew up in Philly, long time listener of WIP,” Stefanski said. “I understand. I also know in my chair I'm currently sitting in, I can't listen to that stuff.”
Broncos best option to start alongside Dre Greenlaw is painfully obvious
The Denver Broncos announced that they have designated inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw to return from the Injured Reserve list, where he has been since Week 3 due to a quad injury. Broncos Country finally got the injury update they have been waiting for. One of their top free-agent acquisitions is closer to making his debut in orange and blue. Will it be on Sunday against the Giants? We do not know, but the good news is that he is back in practice and did not have any setbacks.
One of Denver's top priorities heading into the offseason was the inside linebacker position. They addressed it in free agency by signing former 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw to a 3-year, $34 million deal. Greenlaw is a force in the middle of the defense when healthy. In 64 games over six years with San Francisco, he recorded 455 tackles, 3 interceptions, 14 pass breakups, 3.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. Greenlaw is an experienced linebacker who will bring a lot of energy to this young Broncos defense led by Vance Joseph. It's a significant upgrade when he's on the field compared to what the team has had recently.
Dre Greenlaw's return leads to a big and very important question...Who starts alongside him?
Broncos' best option to start alongside Dre Greenlaw is Justin Strnad
Greenlaw, when healthy, is a monster. He should be an instant starter at the inside linebacker position. Now the big question is who starts alongside him. My answer would be Cody Barton, but he left Denver in free agency and signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. This leads to veterans Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad (the actual starting tandem).
Singleton is an experienced veteran who is very liked inside Denver's locker room. He is a team captain and currently leads the Broncos in tackles with 51. The concern with Singleton is that he is getting older and is coming back from a Torn ACL suffered in Week 3 of the 2024-25 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite leading the team in tackles, Singleton looks slow, which makes sense following that injury, and has been burnt by opposing players, noting significantly Saquon Barkley's touchdown in week 5 on a wheel route. Singleton has missed lots of tackles.
On the other hand, there is Justin Strnad, who, believe it or not, has been one of the team's breakout players so far in the 2025-26 season. He currently has 3.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup. He is a solid inside linebacker who, in the past, was a solid special teams player at best, and now, in my opinion, he is the one who should start alongside Dre Greenlaw. Strnad is a more dynamic and faster player compared to Singleton. I would not be surprised if Denver tries to trade Singleton, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
Denver has Drew Sanders, who is currently injured, and also has Levelle Bailey and Karene Reid.
