Most of the firings that we’ve seen on Black Monday so far have been somewhat expected. And that includes the Cleveland Browns telling head coach Kevin Stefanski to kick rocks.
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Of all the coaches that have been fired, however, Stefanski was probably the most well-regarded. He’s had a brutal couple of years in Cleveland, earning just eight wins over the last two seasons. But he is also a two-time Coach of the Year (2020 and 2023) winner. With six head coaching vacancies in the NFL and possibly more to come, Stefanski will be a hot commodity thanks to his pedigree and offensive acumen.
One of those vacancies is in New York, where the Giants haven’t had a full-time head coach for nearly two months now. Reporters, of course, asked Giants franchise QB Jaxson Dart about not only the vacancy, but about Stefanski specifically. Dart had experience with Stefanski from interviews during last year’s draft process.
“Coach Stefanski was great. He’s had a really good career, especially from the offensive side of things. And I thought the visit with him and his staff went well, and I think he’s a really good coach,” Dart said of the sacked head coach.
In a court of law, that would be what we call “leading the witness.” It’s something reporters often employ to get the headline or soundbite they want. But fans online were not fooled. They called out the reporters for their shallow tactics.
“They asking him about a certain coach, these reporters, man,” said one fan.
“And ppl get mad when I say reporters bait these players into trying to answer certain questions,” pointed out another.
“You ain’t lying. Thats why athletes avoid our town,” replied another. “This motherf**ker doesn’t know anything about Stefanski lol,” joked one uninformed Twitter user.
This motherfucker doesn’t know anything about Stefanski lol
— zeke Hill (@ziggyshorts) January 5, 2026
Stefanski has gone just 8-26 over the last two seasons, but those outside of Cleveland will have sympathy for him. It’s a tough job in which to find success, and Stefanski did better than most.
All five teams with an opening that didn’t fire him are likely to kick the tires on Stefanski. On top of the Giants, there are the Atlanta Falcons, the Arizona Cardinals, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Tennessee Titans.
So far, there have been no official or sourced reports linking Stefanski to any specific job. But we would expect the Giants and Raiders specifically to really push for the two-time NFL COTY.
