Will Deshaun Watson be the next QB to have his play elevated by Kevin Stefanski?

Baker Mayfield: Cleveland Browns

Stefanski would step into a situation where the Browns felt they had their guy in Baker Mayfield, but some doubts had started to creep in after a subpar second year. Stefanski immediately contacted his new quarterback to get on the same page as quickly as possible.

It seemed to work as Mayfield had, by far, his best season as a professional. He finished the year throwing for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions. He also had a top 10 QBR of 65.5 that season and the highest (95.9) quarterback rating of his career. The Browns finished 11-5 and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round after beating the rival Pittsburgh Steelers for their first playoff win since 1995.

Everything would eventually go downhill in year two. Mayfield injured his shoulder, and some internal issues regarding leadership crept up. Even with the injuries and uneven play, he still threw 17 touchdowns on the year. He is now on his third team since leaving Cleveland.

Jacoby Brissett: Cleveland Browns

Jacoby Brissett came to Cleveland to be the placeholder until Deshuan Watson could rejoin the team. Brissett understood his role and took complete ownership of the team while starting the first 11 games of 2020.

In 11 games as the starter in 2020, Brissett completed 64 percent (career high) of his passes for 2,608 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also had the highest yards per attempt of his career at 7.1.

Last but not least Brissett had the highest quarterback rating (88.9) of his career and the highest QBR at 60. He ranked as the eighth-highest QBR in the NFL in 2022. Once again, Stefanski would use his magic and lead a journeyman quarterback to the best play of his career.