A poor season is often followed by regime changes, and the Cleveland Browns followed the same path by firing Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski took over the Browns’ head coaching duties in 2020 after previously serving as the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
The Browns did win their last game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, but their season was full of ups and downs. Stefanski’s last season with the Browns ended with a 5-12 record.
Stefanski had a terrible run with Cleveland last season as well, winning just three games in the entire season. However, the franchise gave him another chance, in the hope that he would be able to turn things around.
After the end of the 2025-26 season run, they fired Stefanski and will now look to find a suitable replacement. But there’s still an unanswered question related to Stefanski. How much do the Browns owe their former head coach?
In 2024, Stefanski signed a contract extension with the Cleveland franchise. The terms, duration, and financial aspect of the contract weren’t officially revealed. As per Front Office Sports, Stefanski made $3.5 million annually as the Browns head coach.
Since the details of his contract weren’t revealed, we can assume the potential buyout figure on the basis of the number of years that were left on his extension. For example, if Stefanski was expected to be the Browns’ head coach until 2027, the buyout amount would be $7 million.
If the contract extension stretched his tenure until 2028, which would still be a standard extension, Stefanski would be owed over $10 million. Even in the absence of details, one highly likely thing is that if Stefanski gets hired by another team immediately, the Browns will not have to pay his buyout.
Shedeur Sanders Detailed His Relationship with Kevin Stefanski
In the first stretch of the season, rumors were suggesting that Stefanski and Shedeur Sanders weren’t on good terms. After Sanders sat out for the most part, these rumors started getting more traction.
Many believed that Stefanski was trying to suppress Shedeur’s career before he even got a chance to showcase his talent in the league. However, those were just rumors as Sanders became the starting quarterback for the team.
Following the team’s last win against the Bengals, the quarterback discussed his relationship with his coach and the significance of the victory.
“We would share different things that we would both go through,” Sanders said. “I know he wanted this win, and I know he wants every win, but I know that this one means a lot. I wish we all played as a team, and I wish we could have done more personally within this last year.”
Stefanski is already generating major buzz as the next potential head coach for the New York Giants.
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