{"id":437243,"date":"2026-01-25T21:10:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T21:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/437243\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T21:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T21:10:09","slug":"nfl-reporter-destroys-narrative-that-kevin-stefanski-failed-his-qbs-in-cleveland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/437243\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Reporter Destroys Narrative That Kevin Stefanski Failed His QBs in Cleveland"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Atlanta Falcons<\/a> officially hired Kevin Stefanski a week ago, and the opinions on the decision have been piling on \u2013 with some more informed than others. One of the poorer takes is that the former Cleveland Browns head coach left his quarterbacks isolated, with Shedeur Sanders as a particular lightning rod.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Aditi Kinkhabwala, NFL reporter for NFL on CBS, covered Stefanski and was able to put a lot of that speculation to bed. She joined Dukes & Bell on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game in Atlanta on Friday afternoon and responded to a lot of the misinformation that has been circulating about Stefanski.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Falcons fans must-listen!<\/p>\n

Browns Preseason Sideline Reporter @AKinkhabwala<\/a> joined @DukesandBell929<\/a> and dismissed rumors surrounding the treatment & relationship between Kevin Stefanski & Shedeur Sanders<\/p>\n

LISTEN: pic.twitter.com\/7v5B0NXhMT<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Thomas – Turtle (@CThomasRadio) January 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cKevin Stefanski came up with a very specific development plan for both of his rookie quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders,\u201d she explained. \u201cHe tailored [those plans] to each of them. It wasn\u2019t just, \u2018okay, here\u2019s a plan for the rookies,\u2019 it\u2019s, \u2018this is how we best help Dillon Gabriel and this is how we best help Shedeur Sanders.\u2019 [Stefanski] devoted extra individual practice time every Friday and every Monday to the rookies that weren\u2019t playing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Falcons Podcast:\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Apple Pods<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0WATCH<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Shedeur Sanders, early in the season, wasn\u2019t dressing and wasn\u2019t getting a jersey [for games], he was getting individual, one-on-one coaching every Friday and Monday after practice. Once he became the starter, Kevin Stefanski, even though he wasn\u2019t calling the plays, was making time for one-on-one meetings with his starting quarterback multiple times a week, and as many times a week as Shedeur Sanders was in there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kinkhabwala then took to social media to clearly outline<\/a> what she said during her time on the Falcons\u2019 flagship station.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201ccreated an extensive and specific development plan, tailored to each\u00a0had extra individual practice time every Fri and Mon for Shedeur Sanders when he was not dressing\u00a0had one-on-one morning meeting time with Shedeur, multiple times a week, when he was starting\u00a0always showed intentionality in calling plays to make the QB comfortable, whichever one was starting (ie don\u2019t call explosives early if that QB prefers a few quick easy completions to get legs under him)\u00a0was willing to go away from his core principles to suit either rookie when he was starting\u00a0incorporated suggestions from whichever QB started\u00a0just as he had with the other 11 he had 13 starting QBs in six years. Two-time Coach of the Year in those six years. (The second time when forced to start FIVE very different QBs)\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea that Stefanski failed to support or develop his quarterbacks does not hold up under even light scrutiny, and Kinkhabwala\u2019s reporting makes that clear. If anything, his Cleveland tenure paints the picture of a coach who went out of his way to individualize development plans, adjust his scheme, and create comfort for whoever was under center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!<\/a><\/p>\n

That context matters as the Falcons begin this new era. For a franchise staring down major decisions with Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins, and potentially future additions at the position, that flexibility and intentionality could prove invaluable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stefanski may not have a stellar r\u00e9sum\u00e9 in terms of long-term quarterback stability, but the notion that he\u2019s careless or inattentive to the position simply doesn\u2019t align with what we know to be true. As the noise around his hire continues to swirl, Kinkhabwala\u2019s account offers a reminder that not all takes are created equal, and that Atlanta may have landed a coach far better equipped to handle its quarterback future than some early criticism would suggest.<\/p>\n