It's Black Monday in the NFL, and head coaches are already finding themselves adding "former" to the front of their title. Kevin Stefanski falls into that category, as the Cleveland Browns fired him on Monday morning after back-to-back disappointing years.
Why is this relevant for the Kansas City Chiefs? The Chiefs will likely need a new offensive coordinator in 2026, and Stefanski would be a dream addition for Andy Reid and the offense moving forward, even if it is incredibly unrealistic.
In a perfect world, Stefanski would replace Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, whose contract is up and is already interviewing for a head coaching role with the Tennessee Titans. For Stefanski, a year in Kansas City could provide a chance to wash off the toxicity of having spent so many years with the Cleveland Browns. Also being a part of a hopefully resurgent Chiefs campaign in 2026 would give him leverage heading back into the head coaching carousel in 2027.
Meanwhile, Stefanski could be exactly the sort of fresh voice needed on the Chiefs' coaching staff—at a level where he'd be heard and respected. The Chiefs offense has grown predictable and stale, even as Reid and his staff have remained stubborn in their play calling and player usage. Even if Nagy leaves, the team could still remain loyal to its own and simply promote from within.
Kevin Stefanski’s firing fuels a tempting, if unlikely, dream scenario for a Kansas City Chiefs offense in need of fresh ideas.
What could help make this move from pipe dream to possible reality is that there's an actual tie between Stefanski and Andy Reid. Stefanski spent five years coming up in the Minnesota Vikings organization when longtime Reid ally and former Chiefs assistant Brad Childress was the head coach.
Stefanski rose to fame for his work as the Vikings offensive coordinator in 2019, and the Browns hired him as their head coach in 2020. It immediately looked like a genius hire, as Stefanski helped lead the Browns to their first playoff appearance in 18 years. After two losing seasons where the Browns at least looked competitive, Stefanski helped get Cleveland back into the playoffs and did it with Joe Flacco at the helm.
Unfortunately for Stefanski, the past two seasons have just not gone according to plan, and it was time for the two sides to part ways. While it'd be amazing to see Stefanski land in Kansas City to help spark this offense back to life, it feels like a mirage at this point. Stefanski is going to draw immediate interest from teams searching for new head coaches, and there's little reason for him to spurn such offers.