Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski received a second chance in 2025, given the opportunity to turn the team around with new quarterbacks after a 3-14 campaign. Instead, despite having a much better defense this season, the Browns are poised for their second consecutive season with four or fewer wins.
Let’s dive into our quick list of the four Browns offseason moves the club should make in 2026.
Fire Head Coach Kevin Stefanski
We absolutely believe that if Stefanski is fired after Week 18, he’ll likely wind up accepting a head-coaching job with another team a month or so later. That shouldn’t change the fact that change is necessary in Cleveland, consecutive three-win seasons simply can’t be tolerated and Stefanski’s offense is truly wasting an excellent defense this season. Browns general manager Andrew Berry has done enough in building this roster, especially in the 2025 NFL Draft class, to warrant sticking around. However, it’s time for a new head coach in Cleveland.
Related: Cleveland Browns Coaching Candidates to Replace Kevin Stefanski
Cleveland Browns Hire Robert Saleh as Head Coach
Suggesting that Robert Saleh should be hired as the next Browns coach might say some things about this year’s pool of candidates. Jesse Minter is an option, but he will likely have better teams to pick from, and we think Klint Kubiak winds up elsewhere.
Skeptics of Saleh will point to his career 20–36 record with the New York Jets, but the franchise did not have stable quarterback play throughout that four-year stretch, and there was not a good general manager filling out the roster to help him. The San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator is very well-regarded as a leader, and his defensive background could help ensure Cleveland’s defense remains successful long-term. As for the quarterback, we will address that next.
Related: NFL Coaching Candidates 2026
Acquire Brian Thomas Jr from the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Browns and the Jacksonville Jaguars are not strangers when it comes to making big trades with one another. Cleveland acquired Jacksonville’s 2026 first-round pick when the Jaguars moved up for Travis Hunter, and the two AFC clubs swapped cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Greg Newsome II during the season. With Jakobi Meyers now extended by Jacksonville and Hunter still poised to play wide receiver for them next season, it is not out of the realm of possibility that the Jaguars trade Brian Thomas Jr., especially since the current front office is not the one that drafted him.
Cleveland is very much in need of a No. 1 receiving threat, and Thomas Jr. is just a year removed from earning a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie with 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He would seemingly stand to benefit from a change of scenery, and the Browns have the draft capital that could prove enticing to Jacksonville. Plus, since Cleveland is tight on cap space, BTJ is an even better fit with three years remaining on his rookie contract.
Related: Offseason NFL Trade Candidates 2026
Trade Up for Dante Moore in the 2026 NFL Draft
Let’s be perfectly clear: the only thing Dante Moore and Dillon Gabriel have in common is that they both played at Oregon. Gabriel stands at 5-foot-11 and simply lacks the physical tools to be a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL. Moore, on the other hand, is 6-foot-3 with the ability to throw from different arm angles, and he has excellent touch on throws all over the field. The Oregon quarterback is also extremely poised under pressure, offering better skills and sack avoidance than Shedeur Sanders. Even if the Browns have to move a little extra draft capital to land Moore, he is worth it.
Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft
