Those declining seasons can be largely tied to the devastating decision to trade former Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson in the 2022 offseason, a move that required the Browns to send the Texans three first-rounders and also secure a five-year, $230 million extension for the signal-caller. Watson never came close to living up to the expectations set by such a significant move, sitting out the first 11 games of the 2022 season due to a suspension before struggling to adjust to Stefanski’s offense and dealing with multiple injuries that cost him half of the 2024 season and the entire 2025 campaign.
When an Achilles injury ended Watson’s 2024 season, he was widely considered one of the worst starters in the NFL.
Jimmy Haslam admitted last March that the decision to trade Watson was “a lot of swings and misses”.
The Watson deal only happened after former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield struggled to produce in 2021 while battling injuries, prompting Cleveland to make drastic changes by pursuing Watson, acquiring him in a trade and removing Mayfield in the process, leading to his trade to Carolina.
To Stefanski’s credit, he overcame the mistake that was the Watson trade by leaning on the likes of Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco (among many others) to keep Cleveland’s ship afloat. In 2023, an elite defense coordinated by Jim Schwartz added an offense that was good enough with Flacco at the helm to win games, helping the Browns complete one of the most unlikely playoff runs of the decade.
In the end, however, the Watson trade dealt a huge blow to Cleveland’s chances of success with Stefanski at the helm. Without three years of top draft value, the Browns were unable to field a consistently competitive selection, bottoming out in 2024 before finally returning to the first round in 2025, trading back from No. 2 to No. 5 to acquire another first-rounder in 2026 and selecting Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.
The Browns’ 2025 draft class was the best during Berry’s tenure, which ran alongside Stefanski’s time with the Browns. The collection of talent bolstered the Browns on both sides of the ball, producing Rookie of the Year favorite Carson Schwesinger (2nd round, pick No. 33), talented tight end Harold Fannin Jr., rugged quarterback Quinshon Judkins and tandem runner Dylan Sampson, as well as young backs D Gabriel and Sheillon Sanddeur. The latter took over as the starter in the second half of the season and showed signs of potential, though Sanders is far from a guaranteed commodity for 2026.
A new coach will be tasked with getting the most out of Sanders while Cleveland also looks to add another quarterback in April’s draft.
With demonstrated success on his resume, Stefanski is not expected to be unemployed for long. How Cleveland moves forward remains to be seen.