Cleveland Browns

One year removed from being fired as head coach of the Tennessee Titans, Mike Vrabel reportedly could be on the verge of returning to the sidelines once again.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that "Vrabel's candidacy seems very real." The 49-year-old has spent the 2024 season as a coaching and personnel consultant for the Cleveland Browns.

Despite spending the year in a consulting role, Vrabel is still seen as one of the top coaching candidates available. Fowler added, "I've talked to people who think he should get a head-coaching job and could be as high as No. 2 in the pecking order behind [Detroit Lions offensive coordinator] Ben Johnson."

In six seasons as Titans head coach, Vrabel compiled a 54-45 record with three playoff appearances, including a run to the AFC Championship Game in 2019. Tennessee won back-to-back AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021 and also achieved the No. 1 seed in the conference in the latter, earning Vrabel AP NFL Coach of the Year honors that year.

Unfortunately, Vrabel was unable to sustain that level of success, as he had back-to-back losing seasons in 2022 and 2023 before being fired. He was expected to be in the running for one of the head-coaching openings last offseason, but he went unhired and chose to join the Browns as a consultant in March. The move represented a homecoming for the Northeast Ohio native, who also began his coaching career as linebackers coach for Ohio State in 2011.

Now, it sounds like Vrabel will get the chance to take the helm of an NFL team heading into the 2025 season. The New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears already made in-season coaching changes, and it's expected that more teams will have openings this offseason. Any of them will surely benefit from adding a coach of Vrabel's caliber.

Though the Cleveland Browns lost 41-32 to the Denver Broncos on Monday, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy showed out in front of his former team.

After his dominant performance, Jeudy shared a message on Instagram.

"They doubted the comeback, so I made it unforgettable," he wrote in the post.

Jeudy, who spent the first four years of his career in Denver, had 235 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine receptions in the loss. His yardage total was a career-high and was the most a player has ever had against a former team.

Jeudy has had one of the best stretches of his career recently, totaling 614 receiving yards and two touchdowns over the past five games after recording just 266 yards and one touchdown in the seven games prior.

He's now up to 880 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the season and is on pace to record more than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. He should have no trouble achieving that feat if he plays even as half as well as played on Monday.

The Browns are having a season to forget, dropping to 3-9 with Monday's loss. They'll now look to close out the season strong and start game planning on how to get better next year.

Monday Night Football did not disappoint as the Denver Broncos beat the Cleveland Browns 41-32.

The offensive shootout saw an electric battle between quarterbacks Bo Nix and Jameis Winston. Nix had 294 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while Winston had a career-high 497 passing yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.

Winston had the chance to mount a game-winning drive, but ultimately threw a pick-six that helped the Broncos seal the win.

Adding to the excitement of Monday's contest, former Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy went off against his former team. He had 235 receiving yards, which was the most any player has ever had against a former team, and found the endzone once. Unfortunately for Jeudy, his return to Denver didn't end the way he hoped as his team lost and fell to 3-9.

Though he didn't get the win, fans applauded Jeudy for his revenge game.

The exciting, chaotic game as a whole thrilled NFL fans on Monday.

When NFL fans saw the Browns vs. Broncos on the schedule for this week's Monday night game, they likely weren't expecting to see such an eventful game. Nix, Winston and Jeudy quickly made sure those who tuned in got a good show.

The win helped Denver improve to 8-5 on the year as the Broncos continue to exceed expectations and get closer to the playoffs. The Browns don't have quite as much to play for at this point in the season, but that didn't stop them from coming in and giving Denver a run for its money.

Jerry Jeudy was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos but things never quite came together in his four seasons with the team, and he was traded this offseason to the Cleveland Browns.

On Monday, he spoke about his inability to live up to his first-round talent in Denver.

"My rookie year, I had a few drops. That was the biggest thing," he told ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. "But the years after that, I feel like I wasn't getting that many opportunities to showcase my talent with all these different OCs and different schemes and stuff like that. So I couldn't really show my abilities and show my route-running skills. It just wasn't a fit for me."

"It just wasn't working over there," he added. "I felt like I was a way better player than they used me as. I wanted to go somewhere that would use me, see my full potential and take advantage of it."

Jeudy's best season for the Broncos came in 2022, when he set career highs in receptions (67), receiving yards (972) and touchdowns (six). Those were solid numbers, but not the level of production that is expected from a first-round selection.

Since the Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills in mid-October, however—and since the struggling Deshaun Watson was lost for the season just days later due to a ruptured Achilles—Jeudy has thrived in Cleveland, registering 24 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown in his past four games.

That sort of production, stretched out over a full 17-game season, would equate to 102 receptions for 1,610 yards and four scores. It's what was expected of Jeudy in Denver, but he has found more of a home in Cleveland.

"As a receiver, to get in a groove, you've got to consistently get the ball," he told Oyefusi. "The last couple weeks, they've been giving me opportunities. ... Now that I'm getting opportunities, I'm getting into a groove and a rhythm. Now, it's only up from here."

Jameis Winston will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the Cleveland Browns quarterback would have no issues staying where he is in 2025.

"Of course," Winston said when asked about staying with the Browns, per Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. "In terms of my family — when I think about my family, I think about moving my kids, my wife having to find new friends. I think anytime where you're able to solidify a role and a place and play good at that place, you like to be home. However, that's out of my control. Again, my focus is on, 'One play at a time' . . . and just stacking it up day after day after day."

Beyond the logistical aspects of having to move to a new city after settling down in Cleveland, Winston said he's come to love the city in his first year with the Browns.

"I've truly embraced this city," Winston said. "I love the hard-nosed [attitude]. I love the beautiful trees, three months out the year. Everywhere I go, I always talk about, when I have my introductory [press conference], I talk about, 'I'm grateful'. And it's as simple as that. Man, I'm grateful for the fans challenging me. I'm grateful for the fans lifting me up. I'm grateful for you all challenging me and lifting me up, man. It's a process that I really take to heart because I feel like all of us are in this together, and that's just how I approach it."

Winston, who first started for the Browns in October after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, has performed well under center. He's thrown for 1,266 passing yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions and has led Cleveland to a 2-2 record across his four starts.

He had 334 yards and three touchdowns in an upset win over the Baltimore Ravens and had 219 passing yards and a rushing touchdown in last week's win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Though Winston would like to return to Cleveland next season, he might not be guaranteed a starting job.

Watson is under contract through the 2026 season and will earn $92 million fully guaranteed over the next two seasons, which is a high price to pay for a quarterback to sit on the bench. Watson's pricey contract also might prevent the Browns from giving Winston a contract he feels he deserves.

ESPN's Dan Graziano also reported Wednesday that there is "a lot of chatter" about Cleveland benching Winston for Dorian Thompson-Robinson "to see whether and how he might fit into their future QB plans."

Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick in 2023, has appeared three times this season and has completed 11 of his 25 passes for 82 yards and a pair of interceptions.

If the Browns don't have a spot for Winston in 2025, there will likely be a handful of teams willing to bring the veteran in, either as a starter or a backup. Until then, he'll look to prove himself further as Cleveland wraps up its season.

The 3-8 Browns have six games left to make a playoff run, though they would need a bit of a miracle. Cleveland would need to win its final six games, but even that might not be enough. The Browns will look to win back-to-back games for the first time this year when they face the Denver Broncos on Monday.

Leading the Cleveland Browns to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday might not have been enough to guarantee quarterback Jameis Winston the starting job for the rest of the 2024 season.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, there is "a lot of chatter" that the Browns might put backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the field "to see whether and how he might fit into their future QB plans."

"Don't be surprised to see Thompson-Robinson get a start or two before the season is over," Graziano wrote.

Winston has led the Browns to a 4-4 record since Deshaun Watson's season-ending Achilles injury. Thompson-Robinson made his season debut when he stepped in after Watson's injury in Week 7, going 11-of-24 for 82 yards with two picks in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Thompson-Robinson suffered a finger injury during that game, and the Browns turned to Winston in Week 8.

Winston responded by putting up an AFC Offensive Player of the Week performance in a Week 8 win over the Baltimore Ravens. He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes since taking over as starter, throwing six touchdowns and four interceptions while leading the Browns to victory over two AFC contenders.

But Winston is playing with the Browns on a one-year deal. Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round pick by Cleveland in the 2023 NFL draft, has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract.

Thompson-Robinson made three starts in his rookie 2023 season while stepping in for Watson. After struggling in his NFL debut, a Week 4 loss to the Ravens, Thompson-Robinson took over in Week 11 to lead the Browns to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He threw the first touchdown pass of his NFL career in the following game, a Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos, before getting benched in favor of Joe Flacco for the remainder of the campaign.

Flacco moved on over the summer, and the Browns quarterback order is set to change once more next offseason as the team looks to move away from Watson despite the $92 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported last week that while Watson may remain on the 2025 roster due to that deal, the team is expected "to look to put competition in the quarterback room, either through the draft or free agency."

The Browns could also try to find that competition in their quarterback room by giving Thompson-Robinson another shot at QB1 in the upcoming weeks. Cleveland is closing out the season with a difficult six-week stretch featuring road games against the Broncos, Steelers, Bengals and Ravens and home contests against the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are expected to remain in their current roles for the 2025 season, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

"Just to reiterate, and this was true before the game, the Browns are planning to go forward with Berry and Stefanski, barring something cataclysmic unfolding over the next six weeks," Breer wrote on Monday.

Both Stefanski and Berry have been with Cleveland from 2020 through 2024. They've helped the Browns make multiple trips to the playoffs, which included the team's first divisional round appearance since 1994 during the 2020 season.

A postseason berth may be beyond Cleveland's reach in 2024, though. Stefanski's team sits at 3-8 with the third-worst scoring offense and the fourth-worst rushing attack in the NFL.

It's worth noting that star running back Nick Chubb didn't make his season debut until Week 7 as he recovered from a torn ACL and MCL. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled to begin the year before he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

Browns ownership has been impressed with Stefanski's ability to keep the team together despite the disappointing overall record, per Breer.

On Thursday, Cleveland secured an upset victory over the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers with backup Jameis Winston starting under center.

There are still long-term issues for the Browns to solve as they attempt to bounce back in 2025, which includes Watson's contract, but the job security of Stefanski and Berry appears to be secure.

While the Cleveland Browns won't throw in the towel on the Deshaun Watson experiment this offseason, they may alter how they approach the quarterback position, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer.

With the team sitting at 3-8, Breer reported the Browns plan to keep head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry. The same is true for Watson, albeit with an important note.

"Until now, the Browns have built a quarterback room to support Watson," Breer said. "This year, they'll look, through the draft and/or the veteran market, to add competition to the room. So while the likelihood—because of the injury and the contract—is Watson will be back, the Browns are going to look to do more than just stop-gap the backup spot."

One could argue Cleveland did that already to some degree by signing Jameis Winston. He's no longer a full-time starter, but Winston is an experienced backup who presented a clear alternative in the event Watson struggled.

Since becoming the starter, the 2015 Pro Bowler has thrown for 1,183 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. Those numbers already exceed Watson's output (1,148 yards and five touchdowns in seven starts).

The Browns fans who aren't calling for Winston specifically to start in 2025 are arguing for a QB change of some sort for next year on the basis of how much better the offense looks.

The Browns could go in some interesting directions in free agency if that's where they want to add more depth at quarterback.

Either Sam Darnold (27) or Justin Fields (25) is young enough to be a long-term successor to Watson. Imagine the message the franchise would be sending if it instead signed Russell Wilson, who even at this point in his career is an upgrade over the three-time Pro Bowler.

Since acquiring Watson in 2022, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is the only quarterback Cleveland has picked in the NFL draft. If Berry were to use a Day 2 selection—Thompson-Robinson was a fifth-rounder—on a QB, then the front office would signal it's at least exploring a possible post-Watson future.

The 29-year-old's fully guaranteed contract pretty much makes it impossible to move on from him now. Even designating him as a post-June 1 release would put $118.9 million in dead money on the books for 2025.

But the Browns can acknowledge Watson is a sunk cost at this point and start weighing other QB options while keeping him on the roster.

After taking down T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett reminded everyone of his status.

The 28-year-old showed respect for Watt, but ultimately said he's still the best defensive player in the NFL.

"I've got a lot of respect for him, a lot of respect for all the guys over there," Garrett told NFL on Prime Video. "I'm No. 1. Edge defender one, edge one, to Defensive Player of the Year. I'm the guy. That runs through me, there's no other person being defended as I am or schemed or planned against like I am. So just goes to show, you can throw that out the window, I'm going to find a way."

Garrett had one of his best games of the season in the win, totaling five tackles including three sacks and a forced fumble. It was his second game of the year with three sacks and he's now up to 10 on the season, the second-best mark in the league.

Watt had four tackles and one tackle for loss, but he didn't pick up any sacks on Thursday. He has 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles this year.

There was a bit of controversy last year when Garrett took home the Defensive Player of the Year award over Watt. The Steelers star even took to social media to voice his frustration over the snub.

Watt had 68 tackles, 19 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception a season ago, while Garrett posted 42 tackles, 14 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Garrett and Watt, who came into the league the same year, have been two of the best defensive players for years now and have had some back and forth with each other, with the Browns star fanning the flames on Thursday.

But Watt can rest assured that while Garrett believes he's No. 1, the Steelers have had an objectively better season than the Browns.

Pittsburgh dropped to 8-3 with the loss, but it is still well on its way to the playoffs and sits atop the AFC North. Cleveland, meanwhile, is 3-8 with hardly any chance of reaching the postseason at this point.