CLEVELAND — With their 17-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Saturday, the Cleveland Browns officially clinched their second consecutive losing season and were eliminated from postseason contention.
But according to one report that came out prior to the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski's job is safe.
Ahead of the Browns' Christmas Eve kickoff, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that the team's ownership has yet to consider firing Stefanski at season's end. After leading Cleveland to an 11-5 record -- and the Browns' first playoff appearance since 2002 -- in 2020, Stefanski has amassed a 14-18 record over the course of the last two seasons, including a 6-9 record with two games remaining in the 2022 campaign.
Nevertheless, it appears Stefanski will be back in Cleveland for a fourth season in 2023.
"There had been some speculation around the league that Cleveland ownership could move on from the 2020 AP NFL Coach of the Year, but sources say the Haslams haven't considered making a change," Jones wrote.
That, however, doesn't mean that changes aren't coming in Cleveland this offseason.
According to Jones, while the Browns are expected to retain Stefanski, changes could be coming to his staff, as well as his offensive scheme. Jones noted that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam "is a University of Tennessee alumnus who has closely watched the Air Raid offense the Volunteers have installed to great success in the SEC."
Cleveland entered the 2022 season with quarterback Deshaun Watson serving an 11-game suspension for violations of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy. Since Watson has made his Browns debut, Cleveland has totaled a 2-2 record and currently finds itself in fourth place of the AFC North.