Browns sign Stefanski, GM Berry to extensions

The Cleveland Browns have signed head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry to contract extensions, the team announced Wednesday, retaining the decision-making duo that has guided the franchise since the 2020 season.

The lengths of the new deals were not announced.

In Stefanski and Berry, the Browns have found the coach-GM pairing the franchise has longed for since returning to the NFL in 1999. Since 2020, the Browns have the highest winning percentage (.552) for the team over a four-year stretch since 1986 to ’89.

During the NFL’s league meetings in Orlando, Florida, in March, Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said they were close to signing Stefanski and Berry to extensions.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry leading the Cleveland Browns,” the Haslems said in a statement. “Since the day they were hired, each has worked tirelessly to help the Cleveland Browns win. We are proud of what they and the team have achieved, but Kevin and Andrew would be the first to say that Browns fans deserve even more. Their leadership, collaborative approach, and ability to overcome obstacles bode well for the future of this franchise.

“Last season was a prime example. Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period. They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns. We are thrilled that Kevin and Andrew will remain with the team for the future.”

Since 2020, the Browns have a 37-30 record in the regular season and have reached the playoffs twice, in 2020 and then in 2023. This past season, Stefanski guided Cleveland to the postseason despite myriad injuries to multiple key players, including season-ending injuries to quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb.

Stefanski received AP Coach of the Year honors in 2020 and 2023.

Berry has executed several shrewd moves to acquire talent, including getting wide receiver Amari Cooper for a 2021 fifth-round pick and pick swap. But the tenure for him and Stefanski will ultimately be judged by the play of Watson after the team packaged three first-round picks to trade for him before the 2022 season. The franchise subsequently gave Watson a five-year contract extension worth an NFL-record $230 million fully guaranteed.

Watson has only played in 12 games with the Browns because of last year’s shoulder surgery and his 2022 suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage sessions.

Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection during his first four seasons with the Houston Texans, has posted a 41.9 QBR since making his debut with the Browns, the sixth-worst mark in that timeframe.

Watson has been throwing every other day and has been limited in OTAs as he adheres to a rehab plan. Berry said he expects Watson to be ready for the season opener.