Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has COVID-19, Mike Priefer is acting head coach

Posted by Michael David Smith on January 5, 2021, 11:13 AM EST
Pittsburgh Steelers v Cleveland Browns
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The Browns are in the playoffs for the first time since 2002, but their head coach won’t be there with them.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced. That will require him to go into isolation and miss the Browns’ playoff game on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will serve as the acting head coach.

The Browns also announced that two assistant coaches and two players have tested positive for COVID-19, but they did not reveal the names of those individuals.

The team facility is closed today. The Browns-Steelers game is still on as scheduled.

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74 responses to “Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has COVID-19, Mike Priefer is acting head coach”

  2. Finally make the playoffs after almost 2 decades and the head coach (COTY in my opinion) comes down with COVID. That’s the most Browns thing ever…

  3. Well, the NFL’s nightmare scenario has begun. Let’s see how they handle this one. I for one, don’t see a lot of, or maybe any, options here. The game will have to be played no matter who is available.

  4. Holy Smokes!!!! Did Stefanski shake hands with any Steelers players or coaches this past Sunday? If that is the case, they might have been exposed as well. This potentially could be a big problem for the NFL. How do you handle the situation if more players from both teams get it? The NFL should strongly consider bubbles for the playoff teams.

  5. Man, that is crazy. Wonder how the NFL will react if there are a lot more cases for the Browns?

  6. LOL. All the NFL-types crowing about finishing the regular season on time are about to have a meltdown.

  7. The contact tracing for this one might be brutal. It’s hard to imagine that nobody else would count as a close contact to the HC.

  9. That is such a shame. He did such a great job and can’t even enjoy his and the team’s first playoff game since 2002.

  10. mikethevike11 says:
    January 5, 2021 at 11:16 am
    Finally make the playoffs after almost 2 decades and the head coach (COTY in my opinion) comes down with COVID. That’s the most Browns thing ever…

    ————————-

    No question he is COTY. No one else should even be considered. From where the Browns were the last decade to get them 11 wins…

    – Steeler fan

  12. Great job putting the teams in a bubble for the post season NFL, very smart move!

  13. Yeah, like Steelpenguin said, I can’t see the league pushing this game back and shortening the week for the next round. The real story, though, is going to be who all ends up being deemed close contacts from these positives.

  14. Guess the browns aren’t an nfl darling yet that the nfl will protect and cover up for, unlike another team up north that will remain nameless.

  15. I got this:

    Chubb right
    Chubb left
    Screen to Hunt

    Blitz Ben because he can’t complete deep balls

  17. Not to be pessimistic but the NFL is on thin ice, I just hope we don’t have a case where Brady / Mahomes / Brees / Allen has to miss the championship game or super bowl because of covid; that will be devastating. I don’t blame the league though; they tried their best and I didn’t think they would make it this far. Keep your players in a (literal) bubble. Here’s hoping.

  18. So glad I don’t have to worry about this crap anymore with my team not making it. Let’s see what happens if and when Mahomes comes down with it. Goodell will reschedule no doubt. But there is no rescheduling for competitive disadvantage. Right. Unless you’re the Ravens.

  19. I am so sorry, Browns fans. You guys deserved better than the hand you’ve been dealt. Can’t imagine how much this hurts. I hope they can pull it off and get to play KC, but between these tests and Vernon’s achilles rupture? Brutal two weeks…

  22. How do you handle the situation if more players from both teams get it?
    —–

    Has this occurred even once? Seems the follow-the-science posters don’t actually follow the science. (Probably someone who posted all summer that there wouldn’t be a season)

  23. jr4real says:
    January 5, 2021 at 11:31 am

    No question he is COTY. No one else should even be considered. From where the Browns were the last decade to get them 11 wins…

    *****************************************************************************

    Is that a reflection of how great Stefanski is, or how godawful Kitchens/Williams/Jackson were? I can’t tell.

    Not like they had no talent and Stefanski walks in, works magic, and gets a bunch of nobodies to the playoffs, which would be worth of COTY. They’ve been adding talent to the roster for the past several years, but the coaching’s always been a trainwreck. With the roster this team had last year, it’s a joke they finished under .500.

  25. They may need to postpone the game – how many hands did he shake on both teams 3 days ago?

  26. Sucks for the Browns and their fans. For the rest of us, it will be fun to watch this whole thing unfold. I’ve got my popcorn.

  27. It is always the Steelers. Who ever they play comes down to COVID. I don’t know how but this is all there fault.

  28. If the Browns pull this off and advance to the divisional round, Tomlin is going to have to do some serious soul searching for that offense (as if he didn’t already).

  30. If it was the ravens the nfl would push pause for 2 weeks. They have no probowl, they should have made playoff teams go into a bubble and push every thing back 2 weeks at playoff time.

  31. Thanks for at least letting us in the playoffs, football Gods. Time to look at draft prospects.

  34. There were reports he tested positive last week. But he coached Sunday. The skeptic in me thinks they pushed it under the rug in hopes of making the playoffs.

  35. At this point, all teams should be going to a “bubble” with everyone moving into a hotel, making sure hotel staff is quarantined, NBA style. Still test everyone daily. After 2 weeks of negative tests they can start hanging out with each other in the bubble, but we might get to the point where the healthiest team wins. God help us if the Redskins win a few playoff games because they’re the only team healthy.

  38. I had COVID and it REALLY stinks. GO STEELERS and NEVER Cleveland, but I wish KS well and good health a.s.a.p.!!

  41. I’m pretty sure I saw a college coach who was on an operating bed get wheeled into a stadium for game day and call plays from up in the booth. Surely they can get Kevin Stefanski a sterile, private booth to call plays from and interact with his team?? Why must he automatically miss the game?

  42. No,he can’t remotely call the plays in.farmer tried a few years ago to give advice.plus he could be watching on tv.

  43. I suppose Alex Van Pelt would call plays assuming he doesn’t test positive.This will either be good where he will run Chubb more than last week or bad where he’ll call a double reverse from the 2 yd line (see Bruce Arians) to audition for a HC job.

  44. mmmpierogi says:
    January 5, 2021 at 11:57 am
    jr4real says:
    January 5, 2021 at 11:31 am

    No question he is COTY. No one else should even be considered. From where the Browns were the last decade to get them 11 wins…

    *****************************************************************************

    Is that a reflection of how great Stefanski is, or how godawful Kitchens/Williams/Jackson were? I can’t tell.

    Not like they had no talent and Stefanski walks in, works magic, and gets a bunch of nobodies to the playoffs, which would be worth of COTY. They’ve been adding talent to the roster for the past several years, but the coaching’s always been a trainwreck. With the roster this team had last year, it’s a joke they finished under .500.

    _____

    I get your point and I think it’s a little of both but more so that he’s a great head coach. The job he did this year goes beyond getting the best out of a talented roster. He was somehow able to take an organization that, up until now, had been the laughing stock of professional sports and in 1 year, without an off season, turn it into a serious contender.

  45. Rumor has it, it took the Browns’ organization a full 24 hours to realize they had to take any action, as they’re not used to actually being in the playoffs.

  46. Browns fan for 60 years and this is typical browns. Last week leading 24-9 and it coming down to last play. By the end of the week it’s hard to tell who is left standing for either team. For the constant harping on the bubble thing the players don’t want it as much as the nfl doesn’t want it. Everyone should have expected an increase in the virus after the holidays so now it’s going to be who can field a team.

  47. Unfortunate for Browns, good luck!—-

    COTY? Browns finished 3rd in their division, again. —-

    COTY? Missing 4 WRs n game plan has BM throwing 50x? 9/10 plays to start game were passes, that’s a game plan. 8 total rushes in 1st half n never trailed by more than 1 score.—-

    Offense is so stacked 10 wins is a given, and they won 11, hardly COTY.

  48. they need to look at the game film and then the end of the game and see who he is close to – put everyone in a bubble and push the games to the next weekend –

  49. If the NFL is truly taking contact tracing seriously Tomlin would also be out & pretty much the whole CLE team… Should be interesting! BTW why do the players still hug and embrace the other team after a game?

  50. Terrible for the Browns. Since they aren’t the Ravens the game will go on of course they could push it back since no ProBowl but they won’t.

  51. Terrible news but the Browns had no shot of winning this game in the first place.

  52. Get him his own personal bubble and then roll him out on the field!!!

    Bubble boy stafanski

  53. Rodgers and Mahomes should go out and get covid now so they’re healthy in time for next weekend and they don’t risk catching it later

  55. The only chance we had was Stephaski’s brilliant play calling. We are going to get destroyed now.

  56. @ mmmpierogi

    He changed the losing mentality and culture. They had no in-person installation of a new offense or defense, no OTAs, no pre-season, very limited in-person practices, and weekly COVID outbreaks. This team plays hard and is disciplined. Something the Browns have been missing for the past 20 years.

    COTY for sure!

  58. As far as I’m concerned, they set the standard for coaches with the Lions couple weeks ago. I am a Lion hater, but there were several options they could have done to move the Tampa/Lion game around and they didn’t.

  60. The Browns were full of Covid last week and this week. Did they expect Covid to magically stop on Sunday?

  61. Would seem likely at least twice as many on team or staff will be tabbed as “Close Contact with a Positive Test Person”. Meaning, I think, need to test neg for 5 days?

    Unless the game were delayed to 1/14 (ie next Thursday), changing the schedule will not help. And, No, the NFL will not delay the game.

    So close. So close.

    Hope that party was worth it.

    Life is like a box of chocolates.

  62. BJ Goodson
    Malcolm Smith
    Andrew Sendejo
    Harrison Bryant
    Denzel Ward
    Kevin Johnson
    Joel Bitonio
    Javon Patterson
    KahDarel Hodge
    Bill Callahan
    Chad O’Shea
    Jeff Howard
    Drew Petzing
    Kevin Stefanski

    Not an outbreak according to the NFL

  63. LamarJacksonisElite says:
    January 5, 2021 at 11:20 am
    Holy Smokes!!!! Did Stefanski shake hands with any Steelers players or coaches this past Sunday? If that is the case, they might have been exposed as well. This potentially could be a big problem for the NFL. How do you handle the situation if more players from both teams get it? The NFL should strongly consider bubbles for the playoff teams.

    —————-

    If the NFL has taught us anything about COVID, it is that it really doesn’t pass on to others when your outside. Lots of handshakes after games and nothing has shown that there has been transmission between teams.

    The sad part is if you have a full outbreak you receive a competitive advantage over a team that has a contained outbreak. That to me is ridiculous

  64. gallopinghost says:
    January 5, 2021 at 1:24 pm
    Rodgers and Mahomes should go out and get covid now so they’re healthy in time for next weekend and they don’t risk catching it later

    ————

    When jokes and good ideas meet head on!

  67. Can NFL coaches, isolated due to covid, still communicate with their team during games? Detroit had coaches out for a game, but I have no idea what the NFL allowed, or prohibited, for in-game communications.
    By comparison, Saban, at Alabama, could not communicate (some rule indicated no cell phones, no land lines, no nothing) with his team during a game he missed due to covid.

  70. I’m a Browns fan-BUT=if you move or postpone a game then what happens to the game if it happens again. You can’t predict with covid.

    Although i’m sure there are fans of teams in the league office-the league as a whole just wants to finish the season.

    The winner is inconsequential to the league as a whole.

  71. Been saying this all year… Roger has very inconsistent applications of his own “rules.” He is going to be in a major pickle if/when Mahomes or Rodgers in particular get COVID. He’s already shown major favoritism to Lamar when he got it by moving both their next 2 games to allow Lamar to only miss one game. I actually don’t think he’d move a Bucs game if Brady gets it– he’s proven in the past he’s willing to go against Brady despite having no evidence or facts on his side to back up his allegations.

  73. Postpone, what??? Different rules now, it’s the playoffs. NO game will be moved now. Play the game with diligent social-distancing mask-wearers only. The COVID inflicted will need to watch from home.

  74. Hoping that the Coach and any player with Covid has a speedy recovery. Getting healthy is more important than any football game. 🙏🏼🏈

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