NFL Rumors: Kevin Stefanski’s Browns Buyout Pay Is Absolutely Wild

January 07, 2026
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski walks on the sidelines during 2025 game.

The Cleveland Browns may have fired Kevin Stefanski, but the internet instantly zoomed in on the part that stings the most for owners: the money.

A viral graphic claims Stefanski will pull in about $0.33 per second, $19.98 per minute, roughly $1.1K per hour, $28.7K per day, $201K per week, and $875K per month for the next couple years.

Kevin Stefanski buyout pay math gets loud fast

NFL coaches usually keep getting paid after they’re fired as long as it’s considered without cause, because their deals are guaranteed in a way player contracts often are not.

The same reports also point out the big wrinkle, though. If Stefanski takes another coaching job quickly, many contracts include offset language, which can reduce what the Browns owe depending on his new salary.

What the Browns could owe after the firing

The public numbers are messy because the Browns never announced Stefanski’s extension terms. Some reporting has previously pegged his salary around $3.5 million per year, but the viral per-day breakdown implies something much bigger in total guarantees over the remaining years. 

What is not in doubt is Stefanski’s resume, which is why he’ll have suitors: he’s a two-time NFL Coach of the Year and coached Cleveland to a playoff breakthrough earlier in his tenure, so this is not a coach fading into the background. 

If anything, the buyout chatter just adds gasoline to the idea that he could surface quickly as a top candidate elsewhere, including buzz tied to the New York Giants.

Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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