Unfortunately for Ohio football fans, the 2025 NFL season ultimately turned out to be one that many will very quickly wish to forget.Among other lowlights, both of the state’s two NFL teams in the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns were among the first to be eliminated from the playoffs this year, with each team also navigating significant uncertainty from week to week about who would play at quarterback throughout the season.In their shared division of the AFC North, the 6-10 Bengals are now guaranteed to finish third in the standings for a second year in a row. They trail behind both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, who will battle it out for the divisional title on Sunday night during the final game of the NFL regular season.However, for all of Cincinnati’s well-documented struggles on the field this season, they’re at least still able to cling to one piece of good news: They’re not the Cleveland Browns.No matter what happens during the last week of the NFL regular season, it’s now certain that the 4-12 Browns will finish last in the AFC North this year. Cleveland’s offense is also set to finish the season with the undesirable accolade of being among the worst in the NFL, a notable counterbalance to Cincinnati’s equally undesirable claim to fame as being home to one of the league’s worst defenses.And, for all the talk this season of the Bengals replacing Zac Taylor — which reports continue to indicate remains highly unlikely— the same may not be true for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.Ahead of the final game of the season, where both the Bengals and Browns will face off for the battle of Ohio, multiple reports are coming out that Stefanski’s job may hinge on just how well the Browns perform in the game.According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Browns management is expected to meet on the Monday after the game to decide Stefanski’s fate, with team owner Jimmy Haslam reportedly interested in waiting to see how Cleveland stacks up against Cincinnati before making a final decision on whether to replace him.The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds that the Browns have already done background work to gather information on potential alternative head-coaching options, and “are leaning toward moving on from two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski.”While it remains to be seen for sure what will happen next week, it could mark a potentially massive upheaval for the franchise, which has seen Stefanski at the helm since 2020. During his tenure, Stefanski has led Cleveland to two different postseason appearances, his role in which ultimately earned him both of his Coach of the Year awards.Cincinnati has already bested Cleveland once this season, narrowly eking out a 17-16 win during Week 1 in Joe Burrow’s only full appearance on the field this season leading up to his turf toe injury. However, this came down in no small part to luck for the Bengals: Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed both a close-range field goal attempt and an extra point conversion attempt throughout the game, either of which would have allowed Cleveland to win or force overtime.However, if Stefanski does ultimately get the axe following the game, he may not be out of work for long: Both NFL.com and The Athletic report that significant interest is likely to be out there to quickly hire Stefanski, who remains a well-respected coach across the league.The Bengals-Browns game kicks off at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
CINCINNATI —
Unfortunately for Ohio football fans, the 2025 NFL season ultimately turned out to be one that many will very quickly wish to forget.
Among other lowlights, both of the state’s two NFL teams in the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns were among the first to be eliminated from the playoffs this year, with each team also navigating significant uncertainty from week to week about who would play at quarterback throughout the season.
In their shared division of the AFC North, the 6-10 Bengals are now guaranteed to finish third in the standings for a second year in a row. They trail behind both the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, who will battle it out for the divisional title on Sunday night during the final game of the NFL regular season.
However, for all of Cincinnati’s well-documented struggles on the field this season, they’re at least still able to cling to one piece of good news: They’re not the Cleveland Browns.
No matter what happens during the last week of the NFL regular season, it’s now certain that the 4-12 Browns will finish last in the AFC North this year. Cleveland’s offense is also set to finish the season with the undesirable accolade of being among the worst in the NFL, a notable counterbalance to Cincinnati’s equally undesirable claim to fame as being home to one of the league’s worst defenses.
And, for all the talk this season of the Bengals replacing Zac Taylor — which reports continue to indicate remains highly unlikely— the same may not be true for Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Ahead of the final game of the season, where both the Bengals and Browns will face off for the battle of Ohio, multiple reports are coming out that Stefanski’s job may hinge on just how well the Browns perform in the game.
According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Browns management is expected to meet on the Monday after the game to decide Stefanski’s fate, with team owner Jimmy Haslam reportedly interested in waiting to see how Cleveland stacks up against Cincinnati before making a final decision on whether to replace him.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds that the Browns have already done background work to gather information on potential alternative head-coaching options, and “are leaning toward moving on from two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski.”
While it remains to be seen for sure what will happen next week, it could mark a potentially massive upheaval for the franchise, which has seen Stefanski at the helm since 2020. During his tenure, Stefanski has led Cleveland to two different postseason appearances, his role in which ultimately earned him both of his Coach of the Year awards.
Cincinnati has already bested Cleveland once this season, narrowly eking out a 17-16 win during Week 1 in Joe Burrow’s only full appearance on the field this season leading up to his turf toe injury. However, this came down in no small part to luck for the Bengals: Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt missed both a close-range field goal attempt and an extra point conversion attempt throughout the game, either of which would have allowed Cleveland to win or force overtime.
However, if Stefanski does ultimately get the axe following the game, he may not be out of work for long: Both NFL.com and The Athletic report that significant interest is likely to be out there to quickly hire Stefanski, who remains a well-respected coach across the league.
The Bengals-Browns game kicks off at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.