Kevin Stefanski Announces Major Offensive Signing as Colorado OC Sends Strong Shedeur Sanders Message to Browns

Just last month, the Browns tendered Blake Whiteheart. Keeping him on an exclusive rights free agent deal, the Browns stopped Whiteheart from testing the free agency market. At that time, it looked like the Wake Forest product had done enough to earn another year with the Browns. Considering they didn’t let others get a sniff of him, the Browns have done what was expected of them. Their latest announcement serves as a reminder, no matter who the signal caller is for them next season. He will have ample offensive weapons to throw at.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2024, Whiteheart went on to play in 11 games, starting 2. He may have only caught 6 receptions for 51 yards and just one TD. But it seems those numbers were enough to win back the Browns’ trust, at least for another year. They have just announced the signing of Whiteheart on his tendered contract. Now, the financials of the deal aren’t public just yet. However, based on his contribution to the offense, Whiteheart is a depth signing at the very least.

Blake Whiteheart signs his tendered contract

» https://t.co/rma9BOjzRv pic.twitter.com/6soNGNYiQq

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 7, 2025

He adds a much-needed experience to a Browns TE room that David Njoku led. Last season, Njoku was in a world of his own, racking up 64 receptions for 505 receiving yards and 5 TDs. Those numbers might seem a lot. But what if I told you he did it in just 11 games? Yeah, the Browns’ TE ended up having the second-most receptions in the squad, only playing 11 games. So, with him and Whiteheart leading the Browns TE room. That possible new QB coming in through the Cleveland doors will get everything served on his platter.

Apart from Njoku and Whiteheart, the Browns also added Brenden Bater to their unit. He may have only played 2 games, but he can be a crucial backup when asked to step up. No doubt the Browns have possibly filled most of their roster holes before the NFL draft. Hell, they even stopped Myles Garrett from pursuing his Super Bowl dream by offering him a then-record $160M extension. So, it shows if the Browns are invested in someone, they will go above and beyond to secure his signature.

Can this serve as good news for Shedeur Sanders, whose draft stock is tanking? Well, it could be. But a former Browns coach and Shedeur’s OC in Colorado is trying his best to convince the Browns of Sanders’ potential.

Colorado’s OC tries to sell the idea of Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland

The Buffaloes’ offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur, was once Cleveland’s head coach for two seasons. He may not have had a successful stint with the Browns, with an abysmal record of 9-23 over two seasons at the time of his sacking. But Shurmur is desperately trying to convince Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski that Sanders is the one for him. “This is what I’ve told all 32 teams, and I really believe, if you need quarterback, take Shedeur,” Shurmur told Cleveland.com. Under Shurmur’s guidance, Sanders threw for a school-record 4,134 yards and 37 TDs last season. He even led the whole college scene with a 74% pass completion rate.

Referencing the Browns’ top brass, Shurmur further added, “I don’t coach Shedeur anymore. But I’m really rooting for him, and I’d love to see him go to a place with really great people, his skill and his ability working with guys that really know what they’re doing, it’s going to be fun to watch.” See, there’s obviously no doubt that if Sanders does land in Cleveland, he will have some of the best people to guide him in his NFL journey. Stefanski may not have set the world on fire in his Browns tenure. But he did win two NFL Coach of the Year accolades.

So, he has something that gives him an edge over others. Actually, you can’t really blame him for the Browns’ lack of success. Whenever he had Deshaun Watson as his QB, none of Stefanski’s offensive schemes worked. But whenever it was someone else. He sure delivered. However, the final decision lies in Stefanski’s hands. Does he really want to take a QB who was the nation’s most sacked QB for two straight seasons? Or does he believe in taking on another challenge to hone Sanders’ skills with a huge upside on his potential?

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