Earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns unsurprisingly decided to fire head coach Kevin Stefanski after six seasons on the job. While many would state that Stefanski did a good job considering what he’d been working with, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was not content with winning just eight games across two seasons.
While the Browns won’t be moving forward with Stefanski, they did keep general manager Andrew Berry, who is now leading the search for Cleveland’s next head coach. One top candidate only recently became available.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported on Thursday that the Browns have interest in hiring former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as Stefanski’s replacement.
McDaniel even has ties to Cleveland, when he operated as the team’s receivers coach back in 2014 under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Even though McDaniel wasn’t deemed as the right fit in Miami after leading a 35-33 record across four seasons, he’s widely expected to land on his feet in another head coaching role. It could even lead him to Cleveland, where he’d replace Stefanski and his 45-56 record.
If McDaniel does touch down in Cleveland, we’d imagine the Browns would hatch a new plan at quarterback. If so, what would that mean for the futures of Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders? Would Tua Tagovailoa somehow be involved? Or did that bridge burn when coach McDaniel benched the former first-round pick?
Either way, most would agree that going from coach Stefanski to McDaniel would be an upgrade in Cleveland.
Related: Kevin Stefanski Never Agreed With Cleveland Browns’ Blockbuster Trade
