The Cleveland Browns didn’t have to look far for their next offensive coordinator, promoting Tommy Rees to the position.
Rees will be the Browns’ third offensive coordinator in the last three seasons. Cleveland parted ways with Alex Van Pelt following the 2023 season and recently fired Ken Dorsey after just one season at the helm of the offense.
Rees joined Kevin Stefanski’s staff this season and functioned as a pass game specialist and tight ends coach. He was a college quarterback at Notre Dame from 2010-13. His stops as a coach include Northwestern, Alabama and Notre Dame at the college level. Rees also spent a season with the Chargers as an offensive assistant.
The Browns interviewed multiple candidates, including Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Charles London, and Atlanta Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger. However, Rees was a strong internal candidate for the position.
“Rees was viewed as a strong favorite from the jump,” ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi said. “Kevin Stefanski makes the first big move to revamping the Browns’ offense after the struggles in 2024.”
Tommy Rees Will Have Hands Full Revamping Browns Offense
Rees and Stefanski have a lot of work to do as they rebuild an offense that was among the worst in the league last season. Cleveland ranked No. 28 in total offense per game (300.8) and dead last in points per game (15.2).
Those numbers would be much worse without the infusion of Jameis Winston into the offense. Winston started seven games, passing for 2,121 yards and 13 touchdowns. In Week 13, he set the franchise single-game passing record against the Broncos, throwing for 497 yards. However, Winston struggled with turnovers, leading to his benching.
Stefanski didn’t provide many specifics about what the Browns were looking for in their next coordinator other than a shared vision of sound football.
“We are looking for somebody to come in and help us share in a vision where we can go play sound, explosive offensive football,” Stefanski said.
Browns, Tommy Rees Will Have New QB to Work With
The most drastic change for the Browns will have to come at the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson suffered a setback in his rehab from an Achilles rupture. He recently underwent a second surgery on the injury that could cost him the entire 2025 season.
Watson signed a fully guaranteed $230 million deal that runs through 2026, but most predict that he’s play his last snap with the Browns. That leaves Cleveland searching for a quarterback, which could come via the draft, free agency or a trade. The Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.
“I think as we go into the offseason, we have to look at everything like we really. We really do. We want to make sure that we’re eyes wide open in terms of what we’re doing across football operations,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said. “That being said, we have good people, we have good coaches, we understand how important the quarterback position is and that’s obviously going to be a primary goal as we enter the offseason.”
Veteran names that have been mentioned are Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders are the top two passers in the draft.
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