Kevin Stefanski - Head Coach, falcons Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-08-04 | Full transcript (primary source).
On August 4, 2026, Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski held a press conference following a practice session in shells, where he discussed the team's ongoing preparations and the acclimatization to the heat. During the conference, he addressed the recent news regarding player Bajan, expressing enthusiasm for his contributions to the team while emphasizing the collaborative nature of contract negotiations.
Transcript
Stefanski: Okay, good day out there today. We're in shells can't be in pads back-to-back just yet per the rules. So we'll be in shells there today getting a lot of good situational work today. We'll have two two-minute drives there at the end. The ones will be up the twos will be up on both those so for total drills there a bunch of other work. Also be good to be practicing in the afternoon. Warm up a little bit. So we start to acclimate to the heat. So be a good day and then we're back at it tomorrow morning in pads.
Stefanski: You know, I said no you guys saw the news on Bajan obviously very excited for him excited for us. It's you know, just new throughout this whole process that that it would be a process and felt good about where we were but you guys I think everybody understands how we feel about Bajan the person Bajan the player, but with that I'll take any questions.
Unknown: So the naked eye seems like it's been pretty amicable even though he's been hoping it.
Stefanski: Very amicable. I mean, I know what he's about. He knows what we're about. So very amicable.
Unknown: Is it easy to want to spend as much as you guys did when it's when it's him and he carries himself how he does?
Stefanski: I would say I don't get very involved at all with contracts. I in my role, I can explain how we're gonna utilize a player who he is. Certainly in a math do an excellent job and in Matt and crew do an excellent job and looking at all those type of things when ascertaining how you're gonna go about these type of deals.
Unknown: Work so hard he carries himself so well he leads and he's really he's just himself. I mean, it's got to be easier to say Hey, I want you to really be the face here I want you to lead us because it's him and you know that you can really handle it well and imagine.
Stefanski: Yes, and again, I would point out I think you have to do that in every type of deal. You talk about those people and look at the deals that we've had. We've been fortunate enough to be a part of in this last month or two months. And then it's all guys that we believe in all guys that fit who we are. Certainly, I think you have those discussions you talk about a plan and you have to see how it all shakes out.
Stefanski: I think so much of what in and Matt and Kerr are doing right now is making decisions based on what's in front of us and what makes sense for us in the short term us in the long term. So yes, every team goes into a offseason with a roadmap and everybody has a plan and a blueprint if you will. But you also have to be ready to pivot in those moments as well. So I give credit to our group and everybody understanding what's important to us in the short term and the long term.
Stefanski: Well, it means obviously as a coach you want to get your guys ready for the football season and it allows us to get Bajan ready and and he's eager beyond eager to get out there. So on that note, we'll slowly get him back in there won't be full go and and just let him go. We'll have a plan here over the next call it week to ramp him up.
Unknown: Signing all four of those guys great players in this situation on offense that the quarterback position is a little bit unsettled. Is that one of the reasons because whoever ends up being the number one guy has a pretty nice core around him for the foreseeable future?
Stefanski: I wouldn't characterize it that way. I just think again feel like we're always looking at our players and what makes sense for us in short term long term, but I don't care who your quarterback is those guys want great players around them stalwarts around them. It's only makes their job easier.
Unknown: Really injury update right you can look at and say all the guys you have locked up you can say he has this trade this is why we want him here long term.
Stefanski: I don't yeah good. Good. I can't think of specifically we've talked about each one of these guys when they're when we signed them and and it was true then when we talked about it's true now looking for guys that fit who we are.
Stefanski: I'm not sure and honestly, you know, I'm excited about all these guys. Let me first say that they're I'm excited about the people the players of course, and then we're gonna keep her head down. We're gonna work at it all the guys that you just mentioned. Yes, they you know at that those ages 24 25. There's a lot of football left for them. There's a lot of growth personally professionally and and I'm excited to be able to help those guys be a part of it.
Unknown: Any entry updates we saw to do some 11 on 11s yesterday and then we also saw one you more maybe come off the field for a little while any updates on those?
Stefanski: Both guys will be out there in limited fashion, but we'll continue to be ramped up both of them. Yeah dealing with something won't be out there today, but I don't see that holding them out real long.
Unknown: I was playing the starters and like week one and week three and not week two for like the joint practices. You plan on?
Stefanski: We have plan be John before like week one for the preseason game before week one. Got it. Need to get through the next couple days. I think it's important again that we do have a plan. Feel really good about that and ramping him up over the next few days and then as we get into week one I'll share with you guys what the plan is about who's playing how much they're playing those type of things, but don't have that just yet. I want to see how we get through the next few days.
Stefanski: No update yeah continues to work very hard getting better, but won't be out there just yet.
Unknown: I know you talked about Bijan extensively since you've gotten here but when did you really realize that he was as special as he is?
Stefanski: You know two things come to mind number one and I mentioned this to you guys before is when you when you start watching tape on another team you typically start from the beginning and go to the end so I watched every play for the offense defensive special teams as I was taking this job or getting ready to take this job and you know I don't was it the second player third play where he went 50 yards for a touchdown, so not long was the answer to the first part.
Stefanski: The second part you know I remember my first day here got off the airplane in the car heading over here and I was with somebody that was just extolling his Bijan's virtues as a person and and it was one of those you're not gonna believe it when you first meet him type of thing and I think it's true. You know he's just he's wired the right way was raised the right way. He's a team guy all the way and that could be rare sometimes in this day and age, but it's just who he is. It's it's certainly authentic that that's just and that's been my experience with him from the moment I met him here in the locker room to now. He's all about the team, and I don't I don't see that changing.
Unknown: And I know when you're kind of like designing the run plays oftentimes it's one consider when you have a player who's as good at making defenders miss in space as the John Robinson does that?
Stefanski: Allow you to get more creative or experimental because he is so good and you have to kind of consider that one extra defender.
Stefanski: Certainly that's a very good trait for a running back to have make a guy miss because you can't block them all literally. Right there's 11 of them quarterback hands a ball off to you now there's nine for us to block on offense, so there's gonna be an element of make you miss now if we're doing our job as an offense the person that you're ultimately making making miss is the last line of defense whether it's a corner or a safety and that type of thing.
Stefanski: Oftentimes give credit to these defensive coaches give credit to defensive players. There's guys that defeat blocks quickly. There's defenses that are able to get unblocked players in the hole and those type of things. That's where it's nice to have a player that can can turn what should be it maybe a minus three are gained into a zero or it should be a zero into a three or should be a three into a seven those type of things so certainly the ability to make people miss is a trait that's extremely very important for a runner.
Unknown: When you were hearing all those probably things about the John was there a little bit of doubt in your mind like okay? That's good, and then you meet him.
Stefanski: I am from Philly, so there's a little bit of a cynic in me.
Stefanski: Yeah, and then you met him and you're like oh wow, okay that was all right that's all true. I just think back to I've been so blessed I pinched myself how lucky I am to coach some amazing people over the course of my career whether as a head coach a position coach you name it so he's right there in the guys that approach the day the right way and approach their role the right way and he's a pros pro and it's fun to watch.
Stefanski: You have a unique perspective on a lot of this but just to watch him in the meeting room watch him on the practice field watch him in the weight room he gives great leadership sometimes, but not saying a word just doing his thing, but I'm very very lucky to be around a bunch of guys including on this football team that that put the team first.
Stefanski: Well, I think we have a bunch of different I think we have different leaders and and you know the days of you know Ray Lewis giving every speech before every game. I mean it that's rare rare. I mean those guys aren't aren't everywhere.
Stefanski: So a lot of it is organic and you need to see how it plays out year to year. It's different. There's there's guys are in different stages their career guys are new to the team guys maybe are in a different place. So you let that all play out.
Stefanski: But I think we have a bunch of good leaders from the older vets. I think there's some emerging leaders I think there's some young guys first year guys second year guys that have the opportunity to grow into those roles.
Stefanski: And it's something that I will talk to them about those individuals and I think leadership can show up in so many different ways.
Stefanski: And we're just kind of really in the conversation previous just it can show up from guys who don't say much but just always do it the right way. I mean, that's so valuable. That's such a powerful way to lead and then there's the guys that are maybe a little more rah-rah and speak up and that's probably more rare, but also can be extremely impactful for a group of players.
Stefanski: So you just have to let that thing play out organically and then and I've said this before, you know you have a bunch of leaders on your team you don't need to see on your chest and beat in order to lead you don't you can you can be yourself and and give a great example to young players to old players.
Stefanski: It's really it's something that I've witnessed over the years where leadership comes in different forms and as important as that may be is followership and having players that will follow those leaders and you know follower gets a negative connotation so often and I think in a lot of times in football you need guys that will follow that leader onto the field and follow them through a tough stretch of the season and those type of things.
Stefanski: So it's the right group of people but it's an organic thing that happens. I think over the course of time.
Unknown: What stands out?
Stefanski: Again put on the tape Burge just plays a style that fits who we want to be. I give him credit I give his coaches credit in terms of his development and his growth as a player, but very physical very smart. We like a lot of his physical tools his length jumps out at you when you're watching him as a guard and how he uses his hands and and his length.
Stefanski: But just the right makeup plays this game extremely hard plays it right there on the edge. So really fits who we are.