“Black Monday” came and went, and the Cleveland Browns head coach was one of the recipients of the pink slip tradition. Losing 12 games this year and 14 in 2024 was too much for owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. And so now, the process of interviewing and bringing potential candidates for the position is in full swing.
RELATED: BROWNS HEAD COACHING SEARCH
The search includes names that are both offensive and defensive-minded. It was assumed that Cleveland would invest in an offensive guy mainly because they are usually good mentors to young quarterbacks, and currently, the Browns have two: Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Plus, the offense is the group that needs the most attention.
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Right this minute, eight NFL clubs have a head coach opening. That could well change after this weekend’s first round of playoff games. Just like the Baltimore Ravens gave up on their head man of 18 years, John Harbaugh, a team such as the Buffalo Bills may also have lost patience with Sean McDermott since that franchise can get into the post-season tournament on a regular basis, but cannot seem to advance each time. The same might ring true for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Mike Tomlin.
Of course, a team like Cleveland would love to have that problem.
On lists of most desirable head coaching jobs, the Browns were mentioned near the final few slots most but not all of the time. Now, former Browns signal-caller Robert Griffin III is calling out his former team.
Griffin was once an analyst with ESPN for their college football coverage and also on the show “NFL Live.” He was fired from that gig in August of 2024 as the network described his situation as “budget moves.” RG3 had two years left on his contract. He had also lost a job working on Monday Night Football a year earlier.
After his ESPN departure, RG3 joined FOX Sports as a college football analyst and was inserted on their #2 team on game broadcasts.
RG3 played for the Browns in 2016. Now he is stating that their job opening is the last place any candidate would want in the NFL.
Of course, Cleveland still doesn’t have their quarterback situation solved. Veteran Deshaun Watson will return in 2026 and the roster has two guys who were rookies this past year: Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
RG3 listed the QB room in flux as one of three reasons he is calling the Browns out.
“One, the quarterback situation is absolutely atrocious. Deshaun Watson is coming off yet another injury, you owe him $46 million, so what are you going to do with him? Dillon Gabriel was your higher draft pick this past season and you got him sitting on the bench behind Shedeur Sanders, who most of the team wants to be the starter.”
The Browns still owe Watson a huge paycheck, all the while Gabriel was Stefanski’s hand-picked guy and is no longer with the franchise. Sanders is a fan favorite, but his rookie season was a roller coaster played with inadequate receivers and a suspect offensive line.
“Two, it is one of the most historically dysfunctional franchises in the league. Kevin Stefanski wanted Watson as his quarterback. He wanted him so badly that he was willing to get rid of Baker Mayfield who is now the franchise quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
(Editor’s note: There is a lot of speculation and reporting around the Watson acquisition. Whether Stefanski “wanted him so badly” or not is up for assumption and interpretation.)
The final thought from RG3 surrounds the Browns’ front office. He mentions that GM Andrew Berry is on thin ice himself and will be treading water for another year.
“And number three, you are going to have to answer to a GM in Andrew Berry who is now on the hot seat. The Browns have only won eight games in the last two years.”
This point might be inaccurate as Haslam’s power structure has had the head coach and GM reporting to him, not to each other.
There are plenty of positives for the Browns franchise going forward.
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DE Myles Garrett is one. LB Carson Schwesinger is another. A defensive unit that ranked #4 overall this year, led by DC Jim Schwartz. A very good defensive backfield. A devoted fan base. A good rookie core from the 2025 draft class, of which several were named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. Plus, the Browns own two first-round draft picks. They have the #6 overall pick, another probably around the #28 selection, the seventh choice in Round 2 (#39), and the #6 selection (#70) in the third round.
RG3 won the Heisman Trophy after a stellar career at Baylor in 2011. He was drafted with the second overall pick in the first round by the Washington Redskins and was named NFL Offensive Rookie Player of the Year, plus was voted to the Pro Bowl. He regressed with the Redskins, with injuries a big part of the problem, and in his final year, he was the third QB on the depth chart and then released in March of 2016.
Three weeks later, he went to Cleveland and signed a two-year, $15.1 million contract under head coach Hue Jackson. He suffered a shoulder injury in the Browns’ season opener and had just five starts all season. With one year left on his deal, Cleveland released him and then played out his pro career with the Baltimore Ravens.
Following his meteoric rise and fall during his playing career, RG3 has seen a similar experience as a media member, now often using bold statements to stir up interest.