The Cleveland Browns' decision to move on from Kevin Stefanski seemed long overdue. Not many head coaches would've been able to keep their jobs after winning eight games in two seasons, and it felt like the writing was on the wall since the first month of the regular season.
However, the Browns' overly complex interviewing process and all the back and forth have raised some doubts about their plan for next season. More than that, they may have overplayed their hand, as if they were going to have one of the most-coveted job openings in the league.
Watching mutliple candidates withdraw themselves from consideration wasn't a surprise. Clearly, not many people were in a hurry to deal with the possibility of Deshaun Watson being the starting quarterback in 2026.
Deshaun Watson’s presence may be scaring head coach candidates away
The Browns' uncertainty at the most crucial position in team sports was definitely a major factor here. Shedeur Sanders proved that he wasn't ready, and Dillon Gabriel wasn't any better. Deshaun Watson should be back to full strength and ready to roll for next season, but things are bad when he might be the best choice.
Even if Watson balls out, which seems unlikely after watching him perform in Cleveland, he's not a long-term solution in Cleveland. It's hard to believe he'd like to stay after hearing team owner Jimmy Haslam admit that trading for him was a mistake, or after hearing thousands of fans cheering when he fell with a season-ending injury.
More than that, Watson came with much more baggage and trouble than just subpar play and injury-proneness. He rubbed his teammates the wrong way when he bailed on the team after his injury, and he reportedly didn't deal with criticism very well.
The Browns need a major overhaul as an organization. The fact that the guy who orchestrated arguably the worst trade in professional sports history and gave Watson a fully guaranteed contract still has his job speaks volumes about the lack of accountability from top to bottom. That doesn't send the right message to aspiring head coaches.
And with Haslam constantly meddling and micromanaging every aspect of the operation, it's hard to blame several candidates for saying 'no, thanks.' This trade has cast a shadow over the organization from the very beginning, and the ripple effect might continue to hurt their chances to compete at the highest level for a little longer.