Browns coach Kevin Stefanski drops flag football truth bomb
Flag football has surged in popularity since it was confirmed to make its debut in the 2028 Summer Olympics. Since then, opinions on the sport have varied, but Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski firmly supports its growth.
With the Ohio High School Athletic Association approving girls' flag football as a varsity sport for the 2025-2026 academic year, Stefanski voiced his approval for the move. The Browns played a big role in the sanctioning of the sport, a process that began in 2022.
'[Flag football is] fast, it's really fun, it's safe [and] you get to see their athleticism put on display,' Stefanski said, via ESPN. 'I think it's going to be growing even more because it's so fun to play. This is a great first step. It's more than deserving for these girls to play for their high schools and have it sanctioned as a varsity sport. It's just going to keep growing, especially with the Olympics around the corner.'
Stefanski's comments came at the 2025 NFL Flag Championships at Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. The annual three-day event crowns the national champions in the NFL-run youth leagues and is streamed live on ESPN, NFL Network and Disney Channel.
The NFL Flag Championships essentially wrap up Stefanski's summer vacation. The Browns report to training camp beginning on July 25, where their four-man quarterback competition resumes. Cleveland has yet to reveal anything from its compelling offseason battle, with virtually every report suggesting a different claim.
Browns, Kevin Stefanski's role in growing flag football popularity
As committed as the Browns are to their own organization, they have been just as active in the Ohio community. Following multiple proposals, funding offers and trial leagues, Cleveland finally succeeded in getting flag football
Over the last 10 years, football has received progressive criticism for its head injury risk, particularly to young athletes. The game is too popular to ever go away, making flag football a potentially lucrative avenue.
With the 2028 Summer Olympics still a few years away, allowing high school athletes to compete in flag football on a competitive level provides more athletes with a potential path. The NFL remains undecided on allowing its players to participate in the Olympics, potentially creating even more opportunities for others.
Related: Former Browns QB Johnny Manziel drops NSFW admission on hatred for Cleveland
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Guardians add bullpen help with the addition of a veteran relief pitcher
Heading into the final day of the MLB trade deadline, all eyes were on two top players on the Cleveland Guardians' roster. Left fielder Steven Kwan and injured starting pitcher Shane Bieber both had their names circulating in rumors; Kwan survived the trade talks, but Bieber was dealt to the Blue Jays in exchange for Toronto's No. 5 prospect, Khal Stephen. After trading away a veteran guy for a young prospect, the Guardians were able to add some bullpen help to their pitching staff on Thursday. After right-handed pitcher Carlos Hernandez was designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers last week, Cleveland decided to pick up the struggling pitcher, according to Guardians writer Tim Stebbins on Hernandez, 28, will be joining his third team of the season after the Guardians picked him up off waivers. He's made 25 appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies after getting claimed off waivers in March, and then was picked up by the Tigers in June. After starting his career with the Kansas City Royals from 2020 to 2024, Hernandez had a rocky season in 2025. Through 36 total games this season for two teams, he has stats that include a 6.69 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. Hernandez has two years of arbitration control left in his contract, which has him getting paid $1.16 million for the remainder of 2025. The young pitcher will be added to a Guardians bullpen that includes Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, Jakob Junis, Matt Festa, and Nic Enright.
Washington Post
17 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Tight end Noah Fant signs 1-year contract with the Bengals following his release in Seattle
CINCINNATI — Tight end Noah Fant's search for a new team is over after signing a one-year contract with Cincinnati, the Bengals announced on Thursday. Fant's decision to choose the Bengals was anticipated earlier in the day with coach Zac Taylor hinting at the potential signing in speaking to reporters before practice.
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ex-CU Buff Shedeur Sanders being done right by Browns coach Kevin Stefanski
Even before Shedeur Sanders' improbable tumble to the fifth round of the NFL Draft in April, there were conspiracy theories that the Colorado product was being all but blackballed from the NFL. Why? Well, no one posed a coherent theory, but it created the notion that Shedeur was an underdog, and the league's greater power was unjustly manipulating his future. It was clear from the jump that Shedeur's slide was a combination of his brashness and ignorance, and more importantly, his inability to break down defenses and inadequate knowledge of playing the quarterback position. Throughout the summer, Shedeur has remained where he started the Browns QB battle—at the bottom of the depth chart, and one local analyst suggests that's no one's fault but his own. On his 92.3 The Fan radio show in Cleveland, host Ken Carman suggested the Browns are giving the 23-year-old a fair shot. "The team is doing everything they can for a guy with the name Sanders, a star of his caliber, to provide the fairest shot possible for him," Carman said. "They are doing nothing to try to break him, to try to sabotage him, or to not be fair to him. After the cloud, this franchise has been the last few seasons—they don't want that guy to be a franchise quarterback?" Shedeur sells jerseys and tickets, and his name alone generates attention. Let's not pretend that doesn't matter to Jimmy Haslam. The organization that has turned over more signal-callers than memorable moments in its existence isn't going to balk at a chance to turn that fortune around, but Shedeur also has to earn his spot on the field.
