Browns fans can only laugh as Kevin Stefanski becomes HC favorite elsewhere

Kevin Stefanski could be returning to Huntington Bank Field in 2026 — looking to stick it to the Dawg Pound faithful who were so eager to see him leave town.

As expected, the recently fired head coach of the Cleveland Browns has been among the headliners of this year’s NFL hiring cycle. He’s been most prominently connected to openings with the Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins, and Browns fans could only chuckle wondering if an AFC North, Stefanski-John Harbaugh switch could be in the cards. 

That doesn’t appear to be the case, with Harbaugh reportedly finalizing a deal to become the next head coach of the New York Giants. Stefanski could very well find his way back to Cleveland in 2026 with a different team, though.

The Browns have the Falcons on their home-game slate this year, and Stefanski has reportedly emerged as the favorite to replace Raheem Morris as their head coach.

Browns fans won’t lose much sleep over Stefanski landing in the NFC, but there's a clear harsh reality here. The Falcons job might’ve been the best of the NFL’s nine openings, and if he lands there, Stefanski could start sticking it to Jimmy Haslam and the Browns in short order.

Kevin Stefanski could get the last laugh if he lands the Falcons’ head coach job

Stefanski found immediate success when he arrived in Cleveland back in 2020, inheriting a ready-made offense built around running back Nick Chubb.

He could be in an even better spot if he lands in Atlanta. There's not be a better back in football right now than Bijan Robinson.

Atlanta’s roster is undeniably better than what GM Andrew Berry has assembled in Cleveland, especially when zooming in on the offensive side of the ball. The Falcons have a young quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. who definitely needs to be developed, but the pieces are there, with Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, guard Chris Lindstrom and center Ryan Neuzil the key pillars. The defense also made noticeable strides this season, finishing 15th in total EPA, per SumerSports, with arguably the best safety duo in football in Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts.

While the timing was right for both Stefanski and the Browns to part ways on Black Monday this year, Cleveland’s next coach will be dealing with the same issues that doomed the former regime.

The salary cap situation is less than ideal, with Deshaun Watson’s contract obviously at the fore. The offensive side of the roster has some intriguing talent, like Shedeur Sanders, Harold Fannin Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, and Isaiah Bond; but no one’s really sure yet if Sanders is the answer at QB, and the team has glaring holes at wide receiver, left tackle, guard, and center. The defense is the major draw for head coach candidates, but as we’ve seen over a two-year sample size, the greatness of Myles Garrett and company doesn’t translate to wins. The Browns have eight wins in their last 34 games.

For what it's worth, the Falcons are in a better financial spot than Cleveland, with the luxury of building around Penix's rookie-scale contract. They're currently projected to open the new league year with $22.5 million in cap space; the Browns are currently well over the projected cap, and will be until they make some moves, starting with restructuring Watson's deal for the third straight year.

So, yes, while the immediate reaction from Browns fans will be something along the lines of: "Ha! Good luck Atlanta! You can have him!" We should all tread lightly here. Stefanski won immediately when he arrived in Cleveland, and if he gets the chance to do it again in Atlanta — and jogs off Huntington Bank Field with a win during the 2026 regular season — the only people laughing will be the entire NFL, poking fun at Haslam and his franchise’s ongoing dysfunction.