We know of at least two teams that will be looking for a new head coach in 2026: the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans.
The Giants finally made the long overdue move and fired Brian Daboll during the season. Daboll led the Giants to the playoffs in his first campaign, but it all went downhill from there.
Brian Callahan took over in Nashville in 2024 and had enormous shoes to fill after the team fired Mike Vrabel. Callahan did not even come close, though, finishing with a 4-19 record before he was cut loose earlier this season.
As the Giants and Titans look for their next head coach, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler notes that Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski might be an option.
Of course, Stefanski is still employed by the Browns, but people around the league aren't ruling out him coaching elsewhere in 2026. Fowler adds that the Titans and Giants would be good fits for Stefanski.
Kevin Stefanski's future comes up often in my conversations with people in the league due to the Browns' 6-23 record the past two seasons. Another reason his name comes up: Several executives and coaches I've spoken to believe he'd be a prime candidate for a head coaching job elsewhere should Cleveland move on after the season. "He's a good coach, experienced, two-time Coach of the Year -- Cleveland is a hard place to win," an AFC executive said. "He might need a fresh start elsewhere."
This year's candidate pool is considered weaker than in previous years, which benefits a coach with Stefanski's credentials. If let go, Stefanski would have the option to pursue a head-coaching job right away or take a year off, which worked brilliantly for Mike Vrabel after his Tennessee departure. That typically depends on what might be open a year from now, the viability of the candidate and whether that coach is simply burned out and needs a year. But the two jobs currently open (Giants and Titans) could use a mix of offensive acumen and experience, a mold that Stefanski fits.
Stefanski has been with the Browns since 2016, and in that time he has won NFL Coach of the Year twice while also leading the Browns to two postseason appearances and one playoff win.
Stefanski is a good coach, but it's not crazy to think he and/or the Browns might want a change in 2026 after six seasons and two bad campaigns in a row.
The Browns head coach would be a fantastic fit for both the Giants and Titans, two teams that sport young quarterbacks in Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward, respectively.
Bringing in a sharp offensive mind like Stefanski will likely be appealing to both teams as they look to continue to develop their young signal-callers.
The Giants and Titans are just about equally dysfunctional, so there's that to consider.
However, New York gets the edge as far as the more attractive destination given Dart has shown more than Ward in 2025, and with the Giants having some very intriguing pieces on a defense that could be very good in 2026.
All that said, hiring a head coach like Stefanski would be just what the doctor ordered for either team and he will likely be at the top of each team's list if Cleveland doesn't retain him next year.
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