The Cleveland Browns enter week six of the NFL season with a 1-4 record. They will be heading on the road this week to face the Pittsburgh Steelers who are 3-1.
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Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski walks the sideline during a game against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 21, 2025, in Cleveland.
Cleveland is looking to pull off the upset on the road. The Browns will be starting rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel for the second straight week. They traded away Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals earlier in the week. Kevin Stefanski has been the head coach of Cleveland since 2020 and Andrew Berry, the general manager, has been there the same amount of time as him. Is Stefanski’s seat hot at the moment?
Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski On Hot Seat Entering Week 6
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Oct 5, 2025; Tottenham, United Kingdom; Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski looks on from the sideline during the third quarter of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Mike Jones of the Athletic listed several head coaches of the hot seat entering week six of the NFL season. He believes that Stefanski is on the hot seat despite the fact the quarterback situation has not been his fault. Jones said,
“On one hand, Stefanski has had some terrible luck. It’s not his fault Deshaun Watson seems snakebitten and has played (and not consistently well) in only 17 of 51 possible games. On the other hand, Stefanski has also had some solid rosters to work with and yet has only two playoff appearances and appears destined for a third double-digit loss season. And every week that Baker Mayfield leads Tampa Bay to another electrifying victory remains an indictment on Stefanski’s coaching and leadership. The Browns hoped 40-year-old Joe Flacco could manage the offense well enough for their defense to keep them in games and make them competitive. But Flacco played poorly. Stefanski is now giving rookie Dillon Gabriel a try in hopes that the undersized Oregon product, who relies on a quick release and sound decision-making, can position the Browns to squeak out some close wins. If not, Shedeur Sanders could receive the next crack. But the truth is, Stefanski is running out of time.”
If the Browns continue to lose games and if Sanders does not play at all this season, there is a chance that Stefanski could get fired because of that. However, Cleveland will most likely miss the playoffs for the second straight season after making the playoffs in 2023.
A lot of the roster has not been great. Berry also deserves some of the blame for the Browns. If Gabriel impresses for Cleveland and if they finish 7-10, there is a chance that Stefanski may not be going anywhere next year. If the Browns have another 3-14 finish in 2025, then there is a good chance that Stefanski and Berry are both going to get fired here.
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