Cleveland Browns news (1/10): A busy start to the offseason

The Cleveland Browns were busy like bees in the first week of the offseason.

It all started the day after the season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, as the Browns:

• Fired head coach Kevin Stefanski after six years on the job.
• Kicked off what ownership declared to be “120 days (that) are crucial for the organization.”
• Revealed that they would be putting a “heavy investment” into the offensive side of the ball.
• Acknowledged what everyone saw during the season, which is that the quarterback position is broken.
• Began the search for the next head coach, which will be the sixth full-time head coach since the Haslams purchased the club in 2012.

While the Browns were busy doing that, the NFL turned its focus to the playoffs, which open today with a pair of games. First up will be the Los Angeles Rams against the Carolina Panthers, who owe a debt of gratitude to the Atlanta Falcons for helping them reach the playoffs. The nightcap brings the third meeting of the year between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, where fans at the game can indulge in a nice cup of “Chicago-Style Hot Chocolate” featuring Jeppson’s Malört and Amaretto, topped with toasted salted caramel marshmallows for the low-low price of just $17.99! (Makes you wonder what is in store for Cleveland fans when the domed stadium opens in Brook Park in a few years.)

Wild card weekend continues with three games on Sunday and one on Monday night, and the outcome of a few of these games may open up some unexpected candidates for the Browns to consider in their head coach search.

We are getting ahead of ourselves, so for now, let’s start the weekend with the latest news about the Browns and the NFL in today’s edition of the Saturday Dawg Chow.

Dawgs By Nature:

• NFL head coach vacancies: Browns could get more competition after Wild Card games (Jared Mueller) – The number of NFL head coaching vacancies could grow after the playoffs start, making things interesting for the Browns
• Browns request head coaching interview with talented AFC West DC (Matthew Wilson) – Cleveland has requested to interview Los Angeles Chargers DC Jesse Minter for their vacant head coach position.
• Browns 2026 NFL draft: Huge QB Trinidad Chambliss update (Jared Mueller) – The Cleveland Browns 2026 NFL Draft options at QB may have just increased to include Mississippi’s Trinidad Chambliss after an NCAA ruling on his college eligibility.
• Browns NFL draft: College playoff game priority watching for Cleveland fans (Barry Shuck) – 2026 NFL Draft could be led by Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore, who played against each other in Friday’s College Football Playoffs.
• Browns head coaching search: Is Mike McDaniel Cleveland’s savior? (Matthew Wilson) – Mike McDaniel could immediately repair Cleveland’s biggest problem.
• Browns head coaching search: A Retread, a hot name, and a wild card option (Curtiss Brown) – The Cleveland Browns head coaching search could end up with Brian Flores, Robert Saleh, or a surprise candidate.

Cleveland Browns:

• Kevin Stefanski couldn’t make an unworkable situation work in Cleveland (The Ringer) – On Monday morning, the Cleveland Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski after a six-year tenure that included two Coach of the Year wins and Cleveland’s first playoff win in more than 25 years. But, as is often true of the Browns, quarterback turmoil—especially since they traded away Baker Mayfield, the player Stefanski had the majority of his success with—hangs over the team and Jimmy Haslam’s decision.
• Kevin Stefanski says farewell to Browns fans in a full-page letter to the Dawg Pound (cleveland.com) – Kevin Stefanski, fired by the Browns on Monday, took out a full-page ad in The Plain Dealer on Friday to say farewell to Browns fans.
• How Browns navigate ‘next 120 days’ that are ‘crucial’ to ‘winning’? (Beacon Journal) – The stakes for the first part of the offseason have been set by Browns owner Jimmy Haslam. To say he set them high may just be an understatement.
• Browns coaching search: What John Harbaugh had, what he could be looking for (Terry Pluto) – I talked to some people who worked closely with John Harbaugh in Baltimore. The bottom line for the firing in some of their minds was “John had been there for a long time. Sometimes, it’s time for a change.”
• Finding a true leader should be priority No. 1 in coaching search (Browns Zone) – Jimmy Haslam and Andrew Berry said the right things after firing coach Kevin Stefanski. They just have to follow their advice.

NFL:

• How the NFL’s best QB room got the 49ers back to playoffs (ESPN) – For six weeks from early October to mid-November, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy wasn’t sure how his injured right big toe would feel when he woke up most mornings. As the Niners began preparing for Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals, Purdy was finally ready to return. The only potential complication? Backup Mac Jones had not only kept the Niners afloat but thrived in Purdy’s stead, leading the team to five wins in eight starts and leaving outside observers wondering whether he should continue starting.
• Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan’s No. 1 job — close Club Mike (South Florida Sun Sentinel) – The days of Club Mike, the easygoing training camps of ex-coach Mike McDaniel, must end immediately for the Miami Dolphins.
• Bears QB Caleb Williams is ‘built for these moments’ (Chicago Sun-Times) – Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson doesn’t need to say anything to Caleb Williams on Saturday. He doesn’t need to remind his quarterback of the stakes of their first-round playoff game at Soldier Field — the Bears haven’t won a postseason game in 15 years. He doesn’t have to tell him about the opponent — the 213th game the Bears have played against the rival Packers is only the third postseason contest. And he doesn’t need to tell Williams what to do after a season in which he set the Bears’ single-season passing record and led them to their first NFC North title since 2018. Williams knows.