The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of one of their best stretches in franchise history under head coach Kevin Stefanski. They are preparing for their second postseason trip in four seasons and he has compiled a record of 37-30.
Stefanski is the most successful coach since Marty Shottenheimer, who was 44-27 during his tenure as Browns head coach. Right now, those are the only two coaches in franchise history with a winning record. As a result, a contract extension is reportedly on the way for Stefanski, who has one season remaining in his current deal.
“Stefanski is here to stay in Cleveland and is going to see a new contract on his desk. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” Browns Wire’s Cory Kinnan wrote in a December 13 story. (H/T Heavy)
NFL News & Rumors: Kevin Stefanski, Jim Harbaugh, Cleveland Browns Updates
However, it is fair to wonder how things would be right now had things gone differently in 2014. The Browns had finished last in their division 10 times since the turn of the century in 14 seasons. Seeking a spark, they were looking to make a splash with their next head coach hire.
According to former Browns CEO Joe Banner, that splash would have been acquiring Jim Harbaugh in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. He recently revealed his team had a deal in place for Harbaugh, but it was, in their opinion, blocked by him.
“Not many remember that in 2014 with the Browns we agreed to a trade with the 49ers to acquire Jim Harbaugh,” Banner, a top executive in Cleveland in 2012 and 13, shared on X, formerly Twitter. “Unfortunately from our perspective Jim blocked the trade and look what has happened to both sides since then. Changed the next decade for both sides.”
It is a report which Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk and Chris Mortensen of ESPN shared as being true. But, people on the 49ers’ side of things have denied there being trade talks.
NFL News & Rumors: Kevin Stefanski, Jim Harbaugh, Cleveland Browns Updates
Jed York, who was CEO of the 49ers at the time, denied the report and said the rumors were false. Harbaugh himself jumped on what York said, agreeing that they weren’t true in a text to Ed Werder of ESPN.
Instead of landing Harbaugh, the Browns hired Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and the results were disastrous. Pettine was fired after two seasons in which he went 10-22. Cleveland would have three more coaches on the sideline before landing on Stefanski in 2020, who is going to be on the sideline for years to come.
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