The Cleveland Browns dismissed head coach Kevin Stefanski following a 5-12 finish in the 2025 NFL season, prompting evaluations of their quarterback situation. Rookie Shedeur Sanders, who started seven games, expressed respect for Stefanski and outlined lessons from his debut year. With multiple quarterbacks under contract and draft capital available, the team anticipates a competitive offseason.
The Cleveland Browns ended their 2025 campaign with a narrow 20-18 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, but it was not enough to save coach Kevin Stefanski's job. The team announced his firing shortly after the game, capping a season marked by inconsistency and a slide that left them at 5-12.
Shedeur Sanders, the fifth-round rookie quarterback, started the final seven games, going 3-4 and finishing with 120 completions on 212 attempts for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. His passer rating stood at 68.1. Sanders' best performance came on December 7 against the Tennessee Titans, where he threw for 364 yards and three touchdowns in a loss. In his last start against the Bengals, he went 11-of-22 for 111 yards with a lost fumble but led a game-winning drive capped by Andre Szmyt's 49-yard field goal as time expired.
Reflecting on his relationship with Stefanski, Sanders said the two "grew to understand each other" over the season. "We would share different things that we would both go through," Sanders noted. "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."
Sanders became the Browns' first rookie quarterback to win a start since 1995 in November, earning an extended look from Stefanski. Looking ahead, he remained focused on his growth: "I can't think about other people opinion or what they view me as... I know the teams that we go against. I know they definitively respect me and the passing game, for sure."
The Browns' quarterback room includes Sanders on a team-friendly four-year, $4.6 million deal, fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson, who is locked in through 2030 on a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract signed in March 2022. Watson has made only 19 starts since due to suspension and injuries. Cleveland holds two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including the No. 6 overall, and could target another quarterback, complicating the competition.
As the new coaching staff assembles, Sanders emphasized his rookie lessons: "I learned what I like, I learned what I don't like... I think mentally, it was how to deal with feelings when things weren't going your way." The evaluation process will determine the franchise's direction at the position.
