Browns Make Final Call on GM Andrew Berry, HC Kevin Stefanski: Report
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was on the hot seat headed into the 2023 season following a 7-10 record the previous year and two consecutive losing seasons. General manager Andrew Berry also faced questions about mortgaging the franchise’s future to acquire quarterback Deshaun Watson, who played only six games in 2022, the majority of them poorly, before spending heavily on defense.
Watson didn’t improve much last year, and he only played six games after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. However, the Browns concluded the season with the best defense in football in terms of total yards surrendered, and they used five different starting quarterbacks on their way to 11 wins and a position in the AFC playoffs.
Stefanski received the NFL Coach of the Year award, and he and Berry appear to be in line for contract extensions, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler in Las Vegas one day before the Super Bowl.
“Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are expected to sign contract extensions this offseason,” Fowler wrote on Saturday, February 10. “Both have equal five-year contracts that will expire after the 2024 season. They performed admirably this year to mount a playoff push, and all indications point to their being in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.