Over the past four years, few teams have experienced a turnaround as significant as the Cleveland Browns. Having only made the playoffs once in over 20 years, the Browns achieved postseason berths twice in the last four seasons, including securing their first playoff win in 2020 since the team’s return to Cleveland.
The key contributors to this success are Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and Executive Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager Andrew Berry, both of whom joined the organization in 2020, just two weeks apart from each other.
In recognition of their instrumental roles in revitalizing the Browns as competitive contenders, it is expected that Stefanski and Berry will be rewarded with contract extensions. If this happens, it will mark a historic moment for the Browns, as the team has not signed a head coach or a General Manager/Vice President of Football Operations to an extension in the past 25 years.
Despite the Browns going through ten different head coaches since 1999, Stefanski has already become the longest-tenured coach since football returned to Cleveland. Winning his second Coach of the Year Award in four years, Stefanski has established himself as one of the top coaches of the last decade.
Berry, on the other hand, has demonstrated his acumen by bringing in the right coaches and players to transform Cleveland into a serious contender. Given their contributions, securing long-term contracts for Stefanski and Berry should be a top priority for the Browns.