The Cleveland Browns still don’t have a new head coach. It seems everybody they have contacted about the position isn’t a fan, or at least that is true of Mike McDaniel.
Which is okay. There are plenty of guys out there. Every NFL coach has the same aspiration: to run their own team one day. McDaniel had his chance, and now realizes he must be a great OC and head coaching is for others. Lots of men take on the head gig, then realize they were exceptional coordinators and not good head coaches, such as Wade Phillips and Norv Turner.
RELATED: BROWNS SECOND INTERVIEW SCHEDULE
Currently, the Browns are knee-deep in doing second interviews with the prospects that reside on their short list.
Often, a second interview lands a guy a job. The Miami Dolphins also had a list, and after Green Bay Packers DC Jeff Hafley finished his second meeting on Monday, the Dolphins inked him to a five-year deal before he left town.
So, the search continues for the Browns. The odds-on favorite seemed to be Cleveland DC Jim Schwartz, but Seattle Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak would be a good hire since the offensive side of the ball needs so much attention. There is no report Kubiak has been contacted by the team.
But just when the coaching searches in the league begin to heat up, another name pops up for the Browns: former Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott.
McDermott, along with Jesse Minter and Schwartz, are all defensive-minded prospects. McDermott has been mentioned as an ideal candidate for the vacancies with the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers. But hold the phone. Why shouldn’t he be considered for the Browns’ job? After all, shouldn’t the Cleveland brass be interested in hiring the best coach available?
He coached Buffalo for nine years. Former Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was at the helm for six seasons. Consistency and stability are two hallmarks that management has discussed that they desire.
Most folks and the media have been pushing for the club to hire someone who can work wonders with the offense. After all, this group needs the most help. But defensive coaches can hire great coaches to fill the OC position.
The question arises: Should the team reach out to McDermott?
Yes, and no.
McDermott is an acknowledged candidate on the market, but much will depend on Cleveland’s current course and how much owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are willing to spend on not only McDermott but also on his assistant coaching staff.
Coaching salaries are not public record like player salaries are. It takes a bit of digging to get accurate numbers, and even then, it is speculative. McDermott was paid between $8 million and $12 million to coach the Bills in 2025. Would the Haslams be good along those lines? Or are they looking at someone much cheaper?
So, let’s take a deep dive into why Sean McDermott fits, and doesn’t fit, the Browns’ head coaching search.
Here’s our take on the pros and cons.
PRO
McDermott is known for rebuilding suffering rosters. When he was hired as the new head man with Buffalo in 2017, they were two years deep in the reconstruction that Rex Ryan promised to build. In Ryan’s first season, the team went 8-8-0. The following season, the club limped to a 7-9-0 season. Ryan was fired with one game remaining.
Ryan was supposed to be this defensive wiz with rosters. In 2015, Buffalo was ranked #15 in defense and dropped to #17. McDermott was the DC of the Carolina Panthers and built their defense up from scratch to #6 overall.
When he first took on the defense with the Panthers, they were ranked #26. In his final season, his side of the ball featured four Pro Bowlers: LB Luke Kuechly, CB Josh Norman, DT Kawann Short, and LB Thomas Davis. Kuechly is now a Hall of Fame candidate.
At the very least, Cleveland’s brass needs to do its due diligence on McDermott. He’s a floor raiser, and the Browns would benefit from that.
CON
McDermott is now 51 years old. He was an NFL head coach for nine years. The elite defense is already in place, but does he really want to start over with an offense that lives in the bottom third of the league?
Look at what McDermott built in Buffalo: #1 in rushing, #15 in passing, and #4 offense overall.
Cleveland ranked #30 in total offense, which breaks down to #31 in passing and #27 in rushing. Yes, they lost their starting running back in Quinshon Judkins when he became injured, and their offensive line had major problems that were never solved.
But look at this mountain that McDermott will have to climb: #27 in rushing yards, #31 in passing yards, third fewest passing TDs, #32 in first down conversions, eighth fewest rushing TDs, and #30 offense overall.
PRO
The Browns’ defense has a lot of good pieces already in place.
If the franchise can re-sign DT Shelby Harris and cancel his voidable year, playing alongside DT Mason Graham, then the middle with stopping the run is solved. EDGE rusher Myles Garrett is a leaguewide phenom and has proved his worth. And the Browns have the #6 pick in the NFL draft and could select either Miami’s EDGE rusher Rueben Bain, Jr., or EDGE David Bailey from Texas Tech.
This would become one of the league’s best defensive fronts with Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire as backups on the corners and DT Mike Hall in the middle if he can return healthy.
On the back end are Pro Bowler CB Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, and this group will get back CB M.J. Emerson from injury. S Grant Delpit is steady with Ronnie Hickman and the youngster Donovan McMillan at his side. LB Carson Schwesinger had a banner rookie season with 156 tackles, which ranked #6 in the NFL. The linebacker room in general holds its own with Devin Bush and Mohamoud Diabate, and the roster should improve even more if Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah can return from his injury.
If, through free agency and the draft, the Browns can bring in another stud pass-rushing defensive end, an added tackling machine at linebacker, and a good cornerback for depth, this group can really do some damage and is just a few pieces away from keeping its leaguewide elite status.
The pickings are getting slimmer for quality head coaching candidates. Oftentimes, coordinators are highly-rated only because they have really good players, making them appear like Wonder Boys. If McDermott can see that the defense needs only a tinker here and there, and will accept the challenge of revamping the offense, the Browns need to move quickly if they want to nab him.
CON
The Browns’ offense has a certain group, which became one of the worst rooms in the league.
RELATED: 2025 OFFENSIVE LINE RANKINGS
Yes, the Browns’ offensive line was ranked #31 this year. However, there are two sets of offensive linemen that need to be viewed.
The Week 1 lineup was RT Jack Conklin (NFL All-Rookie Team, Two-Time First Team All-Pro), RG Wyatt Teller (Two-Time Second Team All-Pro and three Pro Bowls), C Ethan Pocic (NFL All-Rookie Team and nine-year veteran), LG Joel Bitonio (NFL All-Rookie Team, Two-Time First Team All-Pro, Three-Time Second Team All-Pro, and seven Pro Bowls, plus LT Dawand Jones (NFL All-Rookie Team).
Several years ago, this same group was ranked #3.
Now examine the Week 18 lineup: two second-team backups (a third-team guy came into this game), two practice squad players, and Bitonio. In all, nine different combinations were used along the offensive line.
If McDermott took over, take a gander at the original starters.
- Conklin: Two years remaining, has missed 50 games due to injury since coming to Cleveland in 2020
- Teller: Contract is up, no news on extension
- Pocic: Contract is up, no news on extension
- Bitonio: Contract is up, expected to retire
- Jones: One year remaining, has been on IR three of three seasons
This could mean that the Browns’ offensive line for McDermott could be bookend tackles who are always hurt, and three new guys. Luke Wypler is expected to fill in at guard, although he is a natural center, so that leaves just two guys to sign either in free agency or selected through this April’s draft. Teller is expected to be re-signed, but nothing about this whatsoever so far.
Still, it could also mean four of five will not be returning. It would fall upon McDermott to make this right. No offense can produce big without a very good to great offensive line. Will this aspect of a complete rebuild of this group scare off McDermott?
Every single coach in the NFL has one goal: one day run his own team. And if the carrot is dangled, most will keep grabbing at it. What will the Browns do with McDermott in the building, knowing he has other interviews to pursue?
This begs the question: How much will the Haslams be willing to spend on a new head coach with experience that also won a lot of games? Could he become the guy to bring the Browns into the upper echelon of the NFL?
PRO
The Browns play in a very competitive division, the AFC North Division. So, why is this a plus? McDermott would consider that a challenge.
He coached in the same division as the New England Patriots for all those many years. The Miami Dolphins had a few great seasons sprinkled in here and there, but the Pats were “Kings of the NFL” forever, it seems.
In 2020, it was the Bills who busted that log jam of consecutive AFC East Division crowns and took it away from the Patriots. Then, Buffalo won it again in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Ravens, Steelers, and Bengals? McDermott would have each of these clubs on the handle of his blade, looking to carve new notches.
CON
The job of the Browns’ head coach is a tough sell when you don’t know who your QB will be.
One thing McDermott has not had to be concerned with for a long time is the quarterback situation. With Cleveland, this remains unsolved and is still being discussed. The team should have already resolved what to do with this room, and instead has taken a “fix it tomorrow” stance.
The team needs to find a resolution instead of waiting for the new head coach to deal with it. Is Deshaun Watson going to return in 2026? Will Shedeur Sanders continue to be the starter going forward? Can Dillon Gabriel get this distinction back?
Watson remains under contract and will be back for one more season if he doesn’t get an extension.
Most likely, the franchise will not be drafting another young buck in this year’s NFL draft. No matter what, the QB room is set with Watson, Sanders, and Gabriel. Watson may indeed win the starting nod, then one of the rookies will be ready to take over, perhaps in 2027.
Besides, a starting quarterback’s input regarding the head coaching search should be a natural topic within the organization, geared towards building a strong relationship. Don’t the Browns want their head coach and starting QB to get along?
McDermott had the luxury of playing Josh Allen, last year’s league MVP. He didn’t have to worry about who his QB was going to be the following week or halfway into the season. But in an interview with Cleveland, what will the Browns management tell McDermott?
We have this guy and that guy, and might be getting this other guy back?
