The Cleveland Browns are now in the market for a new head coach.
According to several reports, the Browns have fired head coach Kevin Stefanski and will now enter the head coach market this offseason.
While it remains to be seen how attractive the Browns will be to candidates, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones is hearing that Cleveland might not be high on the list of whoever the top candidates are.
Jones adds that the Browns are expected to stick with Shedeur Sanders as their starter in 2026, and candidates will have to have faith in Sanders, as well as in general manager Andrew Berry's ability to build up the offense around him.
"The coach will need to believe in Sanders, as well as in the front office to deliver on offensive line and receiver acquisitions. Sources have said that a coach with options may not have the Browns high on his list," Jones reported.
Sanders no doubt showed some flashes over his six starts, but not nearly enough to cement himself as the long-term solution in Cleveland.
That could present a major roadblock in Cleveland's head coach search if candidates don't view Sanders as a viable starter.
Another possible issue is Berry sticking around. Candidates might not be keen on coming on board with a general manager who could potentially get fired early in the head coach's tenure.
Had the Browns landed a higher draft pick, it would have made Cleveland a much more attractive destination, as the new head coach could've hand-picked his quarterback.
Instead, the Browns are sitting in the No. 6 spot in the draft order, which likely puts them out of range for the projected top quarterbacks in this year's class, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore.
That's because there are three quarterback-needy teams in front of them in the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals.
The Raiders and Jets will be in the market for a quarterback after the failures of Geno Smith and Justin Fields, and the Cardinals are expected to part ways with Kyler Murray.
If the Browns want a better chance of attracting a top candidate, they need to keep their options open at quarterback instead of fully committing to Sanders.
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