Browns nearing extensions with HC, GM

Rumors surfaced about extensions for Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski in February; the Haslams said Monday (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) that the deals are close to being completed. 

This would be a rare development for a Browns franchise that has not seen many coaches or GMs worthy of extensions since rebooting in 1999.

Since Jimmy Haslam acquired the Browns in October 2012, he has employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front-office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). 

Before the Stefanski-Berry tandem, none of the Haslam-era HCs or GMs made it through a third season. Extensions were not exactly on the radar, but the Stefanski-Berry partnership has bucked the trend.

The Browns are 2-for-4 in playoff berths since hiring Berry and Stefanski in 2020; they were previously 1-for-21 since the NFL gave Cleveland an expansion franchise in 1999. 

While the Browns have not seen their Deshaun Watson move pay off yet, ownership still appears comfortable with handing out its extensions for a head coach or general manager.

Coming in as yet another HC-GM pairing (Dorsey-Kitchens) did not pan out, Berry and Stefanski saw their first offseason precede the Browns’ first playoff berth since 2002. 

Stefanski earned Coach of the Year honors that year and has since collected a second such honor, doing so as the Browns lost Watson, Nick Chubb and both starting tackles yet advanced to the postseason anyway in 2023. 

Stefanski coaxing stunning play from QB Joe Flacco, who lingered in free agency until November, secured the ex-Vikings OC the second award. It looks like the latter offering will lead to a second Cleveland contract.

Berry’s extension case is a bit more complicated. He has been the GM in place for the team’s recent upswing, having helped build up a high-end offensive line. 

Berry was in place for the Wyatt Teller pickup, Jack Conklin signing and Joel Bitonio extension. He also extended Dorsey draftees Chubb and Denzel Ward. 

Of course, the Watson move has been Berry’s defining act as GM. Jimmy Haslam also placed the idea of fully guaranteeing Watson’s $230M contract at Berry’s feet.

Berry is one of the NFL’s youngest GMs at 36. He also was in place as a Browns lieutenant as the team attempted one of the more radical rebuilds in NFL history. 

Berry was with the Browns during their infamous 1-31 stretch from 2016-17, being in place as VP of player personnel during that period. He left to join the Eagles, returning in 2020 to become a GM at just 33. 

While his second Cleveland run has brought QB hiccups, the Browns assembled a quality roster — one DC Jim Schwartz helped maximize last season — as they have attempted to fix the signal-caller concerns.

Given the early returns on that controversial trade, that responsibility could shift to blame soon. But the Browns retooled their coaching staff to better accommodate Watson this offseason; the Berry-Stefanski pairing will have a chance to continue this path beyond their initial Browns deals. 

Despite struggles in 2021 and 2022 due largely to Baker Mayfield‘s shoulder injury and then Watson’s 11-game suspension, the Browns are moving forward with contracts that will presumably run into the late 2020s.