Former Cleveland Browns receiver Jarvis Landry.
Getty
Former Cleveland Browns receiver Jarvis Landry.
Kevin Stefanski left Cleveland with two Coach of the Year awards and a fractured locker room, per a former Browns star.
Jarvis Landry, who played for the Browns from 2018 to 2022, reflected on his time with Stefanski in recent comments. While he credited Stefanski’s coaching chops and initial hot start, he said something was lost along the way.
“Being in Cleveland and playing there, he was cool to be around. But it almost felt like, as much as he knew what he was doing, maybe he didn’t,” Landry said on the 4th and South Podcast. “Most of these coaches get put in the position too soon. They have success as a position coach but then are thrown into this head coaching role.”
ESPN Cleveland
“You expect most of these coaches that are younger to be more personable, more relatable with their players, and most cases it just doesn’t work out that way,” – former Browns WR Jarvis Landry on Kevin Stefanski
Landry acknowledged the early promise. Stefanski won Coach of the Year in his first season, and Cleveland made its first playoff appearance in 18 years. But he said what followed was a different story.
“My time in Cleveland, especially in the beginning, it was great. He won Coach of the Year, we went to the playoffs,” Landry said. “For some reason, it felt like the spark and connection between the coaches and players started to dim out.”
Atlanta Will be Test for Kevin Stefanski After Browns
It’s a pointed critique by Landry of Stefanski, who delivered more wins than any Browns coach since 1999. Stefanski went 40-56 over five-plus seasons before being fired in January.
But Landry also touched on a broader issue he sees with younger head coaches, where the expectation of relatability doesn’t always materialize. Stefanski was 37 years old when he was hired as the head coach of the Browns.
“You expect most of these coaches that are younger to be more personable, more relatable with their players, and most cases it just doesn’t work out that way,” he said.
Stefanski landed on his feet quickly after being let go by the Browns. He was hired by the Atlanta Falcons a few weeks later. He inherits a team that missed the playoffs in 2025 and is navigating a murky quarterback situation. Landry isn’t ready to write Stefanski off as a coach, but he’s watching the Atlanta chapter carefully.
“I don’t know if he’ll be a great coach in the league, but he knows a lot about offense,” Landry said. “I don’t know how much he’s involved in the analytical side of things, but in Cleveland, it was a huge part. I think that played a part in some of the decisions he was forced to make, even with Shedeur Sanders.
“We’ll see. He’s a two-time Coach of the Year. Atlanta will be a good indicator of where his coaching career is heading.”
Jarvis Landry Isn’t the Only Former Browns Player with Grievances
Landry’s criticism isn’t the sharpest thing said about Stefanski since his firing. That distinction belongs to Baker Mayfield, who now will see Stefanski twice per year in the NFC South.
When Stefanski’s hiring in Atlanta was announced in January, Mayfield fired off a pointed post on X, writing that he was “still waiting on a text/call” from Stefanski after being traded from Cleveland — saying he was “shipped off like a piece of garbage.”
Stefanski was typically measured in his response, saying he has “a ton of respect for Baker as a player and as a person” while declining to get into specifics.
Mayfield has since softened his tone slightly. Speaking at Super Bowl radio row, he acknowledged “there’s stuff there, but it’s not like it’s beef,” adding that competing against someone you’ve worked with brings its own motivation regardless of the relationship.
Meanwhile, the Browns will look to move forward with Todd Monken, who replaces Stefanski in Cleveland.