BEREA -- The Cleveland Browns, according to Kevin Stefanski, were going to look at everything during the bye week, and he decided to turn over the play-calling duties to first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.
Stefanski announced after practice on Monday that he was turning the play-calling duties over to Rees.
"I'm going to have Tommy call the plays on offense," he said. "These are things that I am always looking at. What can we do better? I have a ton of trust and faith in Tommy. He's more than capable, so, so excited for him. But the bottom line is we have to get better collectively. So that's offense, that's defense, that's special teams, that's players, that's coaches. So that's our charge, and that's what we're working hard to do."
Stefanski was asked what led to the decision that he said he made.
"I look at everything every week," he said. "Certainly, the bye week gives you an opportunity to look at everything, and the bottom line is we have to be better. We have to be better in a lot of facets on the offensive side, and I just felt like Tommy is somebody that I believe in, obviously, hired him here a couple of years back. I really believe in Tommy as a coach, and he's done everything that we've asked, and I just feel like this is the right time for this."
Stefanski said he has no doubt that Rees is ready for the opportunity.
#Browns Cedric Tillman on the switch to Tommy Rees calling plays pic.twitter.com/G2mnKPTmEj
— Fred Greetham (@FredGreetham9) November 3, 2025
"Without a doubt," Stefanski said. "I think it's important that those meetings and the discussion that happens Monday through Saturday are as important as the order in which those plays come off on Sunday. So I just think all of us as coaches on all sides of the ball, but in this case, offense, we have to do our job, we have to do our job putting our guys in positions to succeed, and then it's an opportunity on Sundays to go execute. But I think it's very important what we do during the week, and putting a plan together that our guys are confident in. That's really important."