Before the Cleveland Browns revealed on Monday that they had fired head coach Kevin Stefanski, a report said that he would “attract serious interest from” the New York Giants if he were to become available.
Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart met with Stefanski and the Browns ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. On Monday, Dart was asked about possibly working with Stefanski later this year.
Jaxson Dart thinks Kevin Stefanski is “great”
“Coach Stefanski was great,” Dart explained, per John Flanigan of SNY. “He’s had a really good career, especially from an offensive side of things. I thought the visit with him and his staff went well, and I think he’s a really good coach.”
Baker Mayfield was a third-year quarterback when he won a playoff game under Stefanski during the coach’s first season with the Browns (2020). Stefanski later earned Coach of the Year Award honors for the second time in his Cleveland tenure when he guided the 2023 Browns to the postseason.
That said, Cleveland went 8-26 from Week 1 of the 2024 season through Sunday before Stefanski was shown the door.
Meanwhile, Dart and first-year running back Cam Skattebo provided the Giants with a needed injection of positivity via their “aggressive” personalities this past fall. On Monday, Dart indicated he’d like general manager Joe Schoen to hire a head coach who can match the energy possessed by the young signal-caller.
“I definitely feel like there’s a relationship standpoint from the quarterback to the head coach that you want, I feel that will help me play better on the field as well,” Dart explained. “I definitely want someone who can match my intensity and I can match theirs, and to have the same vision and outlook on how we want things to be done, and to win at the highest level.”
Jameis Winston thinks Kevin Stefanski could succeed with Giants
Before veteran quarterback Jameis Winston signed a two-year contract with the Giants this past offseason, he played under Stefanski as a member of the 2024 Browns. On Monday, Winston spoke with Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com about the Giants’ alleged interest in Stefanski.
“Coach Stefanski is a brilliant offensive mind, great leader,” Winston said. “He would be an asset for any team as a head coach.”
Winston added that he feels Stefanski “can lead anywhere.” It remains to be seen if Stefanski will emerge as the Giants’ preferred candidate later this winter.
