Browns Fire Offensive Coordinator Tommy Rees After Embarrassing Loss to Steelers

The Cleveland Browns have made a swift and decisive move following their humiliating 9-30 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, parting ways with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees after just six weeks into the 2025 NFL season.

According to multiple reports, the decision came less than 24 hours after the loss — a game in which the Browns’ offense failed to find any rhythm, committing three turnovers and managing just 197 total yards. It was the team’s lowest offensive output since Week 11 of 2023.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed the firing in a brief statement Monday morning, saying the organization “needed a new direction” after what he called “an unacceptable offensive performance.”

“We appreciate Tommy’s effort and professionalism,” Stefanski said. “But as a team, we have standards, and right now, we’re not meeting them. This decision is about accountability and getting our offense back on track.”

Rees, who joined Cleveland this offseason after serving as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in college football, struggled to adjust to the NFL level. The Browns rank near the bottom of the league in total offense, third-down conversions, and red-zone efficiency.

The loss to Pittsburgh appeared to be the breaking point. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel was sacked five times and intercepted twice, while star running back Nick Chubb was held under 40 rushing yards.

Sources inside the building described growing frustration between players and the coaching staff over Rees’s play-calling, which several veterans reportedly called “predictable and outdated.”

The Browns are expected to promote quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt to interim offensive coordinator while they evaluate long-term options.

For a team that entered the season with playoff aspirations, this midseason shakeup signals panic — and with AFC North rivals gaining momentum, Cleveland’s offense will need a rapid turnaround to keep their hopes alive.