Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski's Run Ends After Six Seasons
The Browns fired Head Coach Kevin Stefanski on Monday after six seasons, including a 5-12 mark this season.
Stefanski won the NFL Coach of the Year Award twice during his tenure, but Cleveland's 8-26 record over the past two seasons sealed his fate.
"Our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory and we think a change at the head coaching position is necessary," Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement."
The Browns also announced that General Manager Andrew Berry would remain in place and lead the team's search for a new head coach.
Potential candidates for the Browns job include offensive coordinators Klint Kubiak (Seattle Seahawks), Joe Brady (Buffalo Bills), and Dan Pitcher (Cincinnati Bengals), according to Daniel Oyefusi and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Defensive coordinators Chris Shula (Los Angeles Rams) and Vance Joseph (Denver Broncos) could also be targeted.
Cincinnati Bengals: Zac Taylor and Duke Tobin Remain as Coach, GM
Bengals Owner Mike Brown announced Monday that Zac Taylor will return for his seventh season in 2026, despite missing the playoffs the past three years. Duke Tobin will also return as Director of Player Personnel.
In seven years, Taylor has an overall record of 52-63-1 during the regular season and 5-2 in the postseason. The Bengals finished 6-11 this season, but Taylor is confident they will turn things around. Bengals starting quarterback Joe Burrow missed much of the season with a toe injury.
The Bengals reached the Super Bowl in 2021 and the AFC Championship game in 2022.
"I'm very confident," Taylor said via the team’s website. "We have really good people and I enjoy working with them. This (finishing 6-11) stings all of us, equally, and I just trust everybody."
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers Hungry for Playoff Success
Head Coach Mike Tomlin views winning the AFC North as just the first step for the Steelers.
The franchise has not won a playoff game since 2016. Tomlin will attempt to change that when Pittsburgh hosts the Houston Texans in next weekend's final matchup of Wild Card Weekend.
"We are AFC North champs," Tomlin said via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. "And that sounds good, and it feels good. But we didn't come here for that. We came here for what lies ahead, so excited about that."
Rodgers will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 with the Green Bay Packers. The 42-year-old quarterback was at his best against the Ravens (31 for 47, 294 yards, one touchdown) in the fourth quarter, when he was 11 for 14 for 133 yards.
The Texans (12-5) are red hot, having won nine straight, but Tomlin loves Rodgers' poise under pressure. Tomlin thinks Rodgers' experience will help the Steelers immensely in the postseason.
"This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him," Tomlin said. "That's why you do business with a 42-year-old guy, been-there, done-that guy with a résumé like his. He's not only capable; he thrives in it."
