Current Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski held that role with the Cleveland Browns last year and was accused of “sabotaging” 2025 rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders because Stefanski routinely failed to give Sanders first-team practice reps from the start of training camp up until Sanders endured a rough regular-season debut in November.
During the latest edition of the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Stefanski opened up about his working relationship with Sanders that proved to be short-lived.
Kevin Stefanski has “love” for Shedeur Sanders
“I will say this,” Stefanski said, per Brigid Kennedy of Sports Illustrated. “I love Shedeur. I loved coaching him, seriously. He’s got the right makeup for this game. He was wired the right way. I wish that we won more, obviously, but if you saw how he played down the stretch. I mean, he’s a young player that’s getting better.”
The perception existed for months that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and/or general manager Andrew Berry basically forced Sanders on Stefanski. Such whispers grew only louder after Stefanski kept Sanders buried on the depth chart beneath Joe Flacco and fellow 2025 rookie Dillon Gabriel throughout the first half of this past season.
While Sanders ultimately went 3-4 across seven starts, he also may have been the league’s worst QB1, statistically speaking, of the 2025 campaign. Recently hired Browns head coach Todd Monken is now expected to have Sanders compete with veteran Deshaun Watson and a to-be-acquired quarterback for the starting job later this year.
Kevin Stefanski “rooting for” Shedeur Sanders to succeed
Whatever did and/or didn’t happen behind the scenes, it sounds like Sanders will have a fan in Stefanski for years to come.
“I’m not coaching him anymore,” Stefanski added about Sanders during the interview, “so I know I have to be careful about talking about other players, but I am rooting for him.”
Not for nothing, but there’s currently no guarantee that Michael Penix Jr. will emerge as a long-term franchise quarterback for the Falcons under Stefanski’s watch. If Penix struggles and the Browns go in an entirely different direction regarding the sport’s most important position, perhaps Stefanski would embrace reuniting with Sanders at some point down the road.