Browns told ‘biggest reason’ for mess as questions asked over Shedeur draft strategy and $230m QB mistake

There’s very little doubt that the Cleveland Browns have been a mess.

But where the fault lies is up for debate. The Browns’ firing of Kevin Stefanski suggests they think a change on the sideline is required, but not everyone is convinced.

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With just eight wins over the last two seasons, some believe the firings should not just stop at the head coach.

Fingers are being pointed at general manager Andrew Berry, who has overseen the crisis at the franchise right now.

“Berry staying is hilarious,” one fan wrote after the confirmation that two-time Coach of the Year Stefanski was dismissed.

“I get this recent draft class looks solid. He’s been the worst GM in the league for years now. And he’s the biggest reason they are in the mess they’re in.”

Stefanski and Berry both joined in January 2020, it’s understandable why some pair the two together and, therefore, why both are blamed together for the “mess” the Browns are in.

The Deshaun Watson error

Berry has also had a hand in some of the key decisions that have changed the future of the franchise.

He decided to ship three first-round picks to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson and hand him a $230 million, fully guaranteed contract.

A move that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has publicly admitted was a mistake.

“We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Jimmy Haslam told reporters in May last year.

Watson’s Browns career has seen him serve an 11-game suspension and suffer two season-ending injuries

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Essentially, Watson has proven to be a bust, playing 19 games across four seasons and in fact has been a net negative because of his impact on the cap space.

The Browns are starting at a cap space of $80.7 million, with his dead cap cost a stunning $175 million, more than double the current record, which is $85 million.

It’s not just fans who are clamouring for Berry even ESPN analyst Mina Kimes claimed she cannot understand why the general manager still has a job.

“I am honestly a little puzzled that they trust Andrew Berry to be the steward of all the choices and the cap space and everything,” she said.

“The worst trade in NFL history happened under his watch.

“Moving on from Stefanski, yes, the offense struggled. But splitting them and keeping the GM… it doesn’t really make sense to me.”

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The Browns 2025 draft strategy

It’s not just the catastrophic errors around Watson that Berry is criticised for, but also his attempt to fix it in the 2025 draft.

While much of Berry’s class has impressed, it’s at quarterback the questions remain.

Berry selected Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round after his unexpected slide.

Many could not understand the Browns’ strategy, as what followed was a dramatic quarterback battle that played out for the entirety of the offseason and most of the campaign until Sanders effectively won the QB1 position in Week 12.

And while Sanders has impressed in part during his rookie campaign, the return of Watson and the crucial decision that is picking the next head coach, it’s a legitimate question to ask whether Berry should be leading the Browns into this new era.

Andrew Berry has one more season to prove his worth

The feeling around the Browns is that Berry is being given one more year to prove himself in this job.

Beat reporters in Cleveland claim that he is facing a career-defining year, and should the Browns endure another difficult season, there’s no doubt he will be fired.

“This long honeymoon phase with Andrew is over, or whatever was left of it,” Browns reporter Dan Labbe.

“Is he on a shorter leash at this point? Like what if next season goes poorly? I know no one’s expecting that, but what if next season is a four- or five-win season? Does that put Andrew in the crosshairs?”

Fellow beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot claimed that Berry’s career rests on whether he can deliver a quarterback who can win games in 2026.

“What this football team needs to get to winning in 2026 is a quarterback who can win for them,” Cabot stated firmly.

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“This cannot really be about development next year. Nobody has the stomach for another losing season. Nobody has the stomach for another five-win season.”

Haslam’s blunt assessment of the team fits in with this narrative.

“Ownership takes full responsibility for where we are. To win eight games in two years is horrible. It’s totally unacceptable, OK? And it’s not gonna continue, OK?” Haslam said.

He also addressed his decision not to fire Berry.

“I want to comment on Andrew because I know there’s questions out there: Why didn’t you change both of them, or why didn’t you change Andrew and not Kevin?” he began.

“I would say this: I think Andrew, over the last year, has done a very good job.”

It’s safe to say the Browns aren’t leaving the headlines in 2026, as it gears up to be another dramatic season.

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