Cleveland Browns: 3 reasons Kevin Stefanski could be on hot seat

1. Deshaun Watson

When the Browns made the decision to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has been ranked anywhere from a top-five to a top-10 quarterback in the league, that immediately put more pressure on the Browns franchise and their coach.

After the trade, Cleveland signed Watson to a $230 million guaranteed contract. The expectations are now through the roof. If this new squad under Stefanski’s guidance can’t win games, then the coach’s job will be in serious jeopardy.

Obviously, with anything new, there will be a period of adjustment. The other huge factor in this upcoming season is the final verdict on all the off-the-field issues involving Watson. So not only does this team need to learn how to play together with a new quarterback, but they are also in a bit of limbo waiting on a Watson decision by the NFL as for any type of potential suspension.

Maybe the Browns management and owners are well aware of these factors and will give Stefanski a pass on the season but if this team struggles and let’s say they finish only winning four or five games, then Stefanski could be in trouble.

I don’t see that happening for a few reasons. The biggest of these reasons is that Baker Mayfield is no longer in the locker room. After watching Mayfield in a variety of public appearances, and fielding questions in pre-and post-game conferences, you get a sense that Stefanski and Mayfield struggled to be on the same page when it came to this team.

Hopefully, Stefanski can now concentrate on having his new quarterback run his plays better and more accurately. Watson will be the deciding factor in Stefanski moving forward with this team. I’m hoping we see a coach in Stefanski that can maintain his job and move this team to new heights.