CLEVELAND (AP) — Coach Kevin Stefanski of the Browns has made significant summer staff changes for the second year in a row.
After a season marred by injury and only a few days after Cleveland was humiliated by Houston in the wild-card round, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has left the organization.
It was verified on Wednesday by a team representative that Van Pelt is no longer with the Browns. Additionally, Stefanski dismissed T.C. McCartney, the tight ends coach, and Stump Mitchell, the running backs coach, after their contracts expired.They are interviewing Duce Staley to take Mitchell’s job, having swiftly moved on from him. Before being let go, 48-year-old Staley most recently worked for Carolina as an assistant head coach and running backs coach.
Stefanski dismissed special teams coordinator Mike Priefer and defensive coordinator Joe Woods in 2022 after a 7–10 campaign. These actions resulted in the appointment of Bubba Ventrone, who significantly enhanced special teams, and Jim Schwartz, who elevated Cleveland’s defense to among the best in the NFL this season.
That Van Pelt left is unexpected. Whether he resigned or was fired was instantly known.
Stefanski and he seemed to get along well, and Van Pelt simply gave his boss credit for a job well done amid a difficult season last week.
Van Pelt praised Stefanski, who has guided the Browns to the postseason twice in the last four seasons, saying, “He’s awesome.” “I’ve relished every moment spent with him. He has coached numerous football teams using various strategies. I found it very amazing how adaptable he is, even switching up his starting quarterback depending on the situation.
“But I’m really proud to be on his staff because of the message and the culture he’s built here over the last four years.”
On game day, though, Stefanski called all of the plays while Van Pelt assisted in creating the game plans. Van Pelt might have desired a bigger role, but the Browns were not going to give it to him.Stefanski might be searching for someone to help him better match Cleveland’s offense to quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was limited to only six starts prior to surgery and a season-ending shoulder injury.
Since Stefanski’s hiring in 2020, all three of his assistants have worked for him.This season, despite a wave of injuries and having to start five quarterbacks, the Browns finished 11-6 and qualified for the playoffs. But on Saturday, they suffered a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans, who swiftly eliminated them from the playoffs.
On Sunday, Stefanski said that in the upcoming weeks, a few of his aides will be moving on to other possibilities.
Former NFL running back Mitchell recently finished his fourth season with the Browns. When standout Nick Chubb suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, he spent a large portion of the season attempting to support the team in coming to terms with his departure.
Mitchell has over twenty years of experience as a league coach.David Njoku became one of the top tight ends in the league with McCartney’s assistance. This season, Njoku finished with career highs in yards gained (882), touchdowns (6), and catches (81).
From the first game, Cleveland’s attack was constantly changing.
After Watson suffered a shoulder injury in November, the Browns acquired free agent Joe Flacco, who surprised everyone by going 4-1 as a starter and tossing two pick-6s against the Texans. Cleveland also used backups at both starting tackle positions for a large portion of the season.
