Veteran guard Joel Bitonio may be nearing the end of his NFL career, but he hopes the Cleveland Browns don’t move on from the coach who helped guide their turnaround.
Kevin Stefanski is under scrutiny again as Cleveland trudges through another disappointing season, sitting at just three wins with two games remaining. Offensive inconsistency — largely tied to instability at quarterback — has once again forced the defense to carry the load, resulting in narrow losses and little sustained progress.
Bitonio understands the cycle well. He played through the darkest stretches of Browns football before Stefanski arrived and lifted the franchise back into contention, including a playoff berth and postseason victory in 2020. For the longtime lineman, the struggles aren’t proof that Stefanski is the problem — but rather that Cleveland still lacks the one thing every team needs to win consistently: quarterback stability.
“Until that quarterback position is solved, it is hard to win games,” Bitonio said via the Akron Beacon Journal. “It’s the most important position in sports.”
The Watson Contract Shadow Still Looms
Much of Cleveland’s current situation traces back to the bold — and costly — trade for Deshaun Watson. The Browns shipped away three first-round picks and immediately handed Watson a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal. The move led to the departure of Baker Mayfield, who has since revitalized his career with the Buccaneers, while Watson has struggled with injuries and performance.
The contract now limits flexibility, leaving Cleveland to cycle through quarterbacks and rely on two rookies for much of the 2025 season. Despite the offensive issues, the defense has remained one of the NFL’s top units, and young draft talent — including Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins, and Harold Fannin Jr. — provides optimism moving forward.
Bitonio believes that with the right additions, Stefanski should remain the one guiding the franchise.
“If we get the right pieces and keep improving, that’s a guy you build around,” Bitonio said. “Two-time Coach of the Year, he has respect in the locker room. The team is motivated. He’s even-keeled. I think you keep him.”
Experience Matters — And Stefanski Has Results to Show for It
Bitonio has played for multiple coaches in Cleveland, from Mike Pettine to Hue Jackson to Freddie Kitchens. None found the playoff success Stefanski did. Cleveland hadn’t won a postseason game since 1994 until Stefanski helped break that drought.
The Browns are not where they want to be — Bitonio acknowledges that — but context matters.
“Some of the other coaches I played for had three wins. They didn’t have 11 wins. They didn’t have playoff appearances. They didn’t have a six-year sample size,” he said. “We’re not where we want to be, but I think we’ll be in a good place if he keeps coaching the Browns.”
Whether Bitonio returns for a 13th season or decides to walk away, his stance is firm: Cleveland shouldn’t reset the foundation. Stability, patience, and roster development — not another coaching search — may be the path back to relevance.
