Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski reportedly removed several offensive coaches this week, including offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
According to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, Stefanski also replaced running backs coach Stump Mitchell and tight ends coach T.C. McCartney, which “upset” some of the team’s players.
Anderson reported that Stefanski notified the coaches of their destiny on Tuesday, saying he wished to “change course.”
Van Pelt has been the Browns’ offensive coordinator since Stefanski was hired as head coach in 2020, and while the team had its ups and downs, Van Pelt played a role in the Browns’ greatest success in decades.
With Stefanski and Van Pelt in charge of the offense, the Browns went 11-5 and made the playoffs in 2020, their first appearance since 2002.
Cleveland missed the playoffs in each of the next two seasons, but with an 11-6 record this season, the Browns experienced playoff football once more.
Given the number of injuries to key offensive players, the Browns considerably exceeded expectations in making the playoffs.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson, running back Nick Chubb, and offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr., Jack Conklin, and Dawand Jones were all placed on the season-ending injured reserve.
With Watson sidelined, the Browns started five different quarterbacks and revived the career of veteran Joe Flacco, who finished 4-1 as the team’s starter during the regular season, throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
With Chubb missing all but two games, the running game faltered. Jerome Ford carried for 813 yards and averaged 4.0 yards per carry, while veteran Kareem Hunt rushed for 411 yards and averaged only 3.0 yards per carry.
That most certainly cost Mitchell his job, however it should be remembered that Chubb was a Pro Bowler for four consecutive seasons from 2019 to 2022 under Mitchell’s tutelage.
McCartney’s termination was perhaps the most perplexing, given tight end David Njoku thrived under his tutelage this season.
Njoku achieved career highs with 81 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.
The Browns’ season ended with a 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card Round of the playoffs, leaving a terrible taste in the mouths of fans and members of the organization.
That game resulted in some significant changes, but considering what Van Pelt, Mitchell, and McCartney were able to produce from the offense this season despite challenging circumstances, none of them should have any trouble catching on elsewhere in 2024.
