Ghost of Notre Dame football past now holds the key to preserving or ending the Kevin Stefanski tenure with the Cleveland Browns
The only chance left is… Tommy Rees?
For the second year in a row, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is set to hand over play-calling responsibilities, which was first reported by NFL.com national insider Ian Rapoport. This time around, it will be given to offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who Notre Dame fans are very familiar with. The former Fighting Irish player and coach has had an interesting football journey, and will now be tasked with either preserving or ending the Kevin Stefanski tenure in Cleveland.
With how poorly this Browns team is playing, the pressure on Stefanski has seemingly been increasing by the week. Respected as a very good offensive mind, it has been staggering to see just how poorly that side of the football has been playing. The offense currently sits 30th in the NFL, averaging just 15.8 points per game. They are also averaging just 263.5 yards per game as a group, a big reason why the team sits with a 2-6 overall record right now.
Considering this is the second time that Stefanski has given up control of his baby, this is certainly a bad sign. The two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner has struggled since the team went 11-6 back in 2023. During the last two seasons, the Browns have managed to produce a 5-20 record heading into this week. With a poor roster, better days don’t appear to be ahead of this franchise, and his job could certainly be on the line.
Tommy Rees – the savior?
Rees was a member of the Notre Dame football program as a quarterback from 2010-13 before beginning his coaching career. He initially spent two seasons with the San Diego Chargers franchise and Northwestern on the college level before returning to South Bend under his former head coach, Brian Kelly. Rees would spend six seasons with the Fighting Irish as an assistant coach, serving as quarterback coach and offensive coordinator during that stretch.
After the 2022 college football season, Rees then joined Nick Saban’s final season with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Unfortunately for Rees, he wasn’t retained by the program after Saban retired following his lone season, eventually ending up with the Browns. After spending his first season as the passing game coordinator, Rees gained the offensive coordinator title with the team.
For those that don’t know, Stefanski has been the main play caller all season. Rees’s role as offensive coordinator has more from a game plan and installation perspective. He now gets his shot to call plays, which could make or break this tenure in Cleveland. The task is tall, and odds are it doesn’t end well. Let’s see what Rees has cooked up.
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