Head Coach Kevin Stefanski (10.8.25)
Opening Statement:
“All right, great challenge on the road. Division opponent, excited about these opportunities, these rivalry games and going against division opponents. Obviously, they’re atop the division right now, playing really good football. I think they’re plus 7 turnover margin, doing a nice job taking it away. They’re playing very well on the offensive side, and they always play great on special teams. So, really good players, coaches that I have a ton of respect for. So, its division football, it’s AFC North, we know what to expect. But with that, I’ll take any questions.”
Kevin (Stefanski), have you decided if Shedeur (Sanders) is going to be your number two active quarterback for this weekend yet?
“Well, first I’d tell you is the Joe (Flacco) trade took us by surprise. That was not something that we saw coming. You know, they called us, and it happened very fast, and happened not too long ago. So, still working through all roster types of things. I always have to be mindful of our players, and our players development and I want to make sure that I’m always doing what’s best for our players and, of course, our team. But with young players, I’m always thinking about last week, making the change to Dillon (Gabriel). You have to think long and hard about that, because these are young players that you’re so invested in their development. So, I’ll let the week play out and make a decision later on.”
And what might be the drawback to doing something like that?
“Yeah, I trust in all of our players. I trust in their ability and those types of things. I just always want to set our guys up for success.”
So Monday afternoon, you didn’t plan on trading Joe Flacco?
“No.”
Well, why did it happen? Why did you trade him?
“Well, obviously AB (Andrew Berry) makes those decisions. I trust AB. We talk about every decision we make. They wanted Joe, they made the phone call. Obviously, it gives Joe an opportunity to go play again, but I trust in our decisions.”
Kevin, explain to the fans all the training camp reps devoted to Flacco and (Kenny) Pickett. Why wasn’t it a waste of time? As it turns out, it’s October. Neither is here.
“Well, I mean, there’s a lot of unknowns in football and sports. You can’t always predict injuries, you can’t predict trades, those types of things. So, it’s just that’s sports.”
Without Joe, do you feel like there’s a leadership void in that young room that you have at quarterback?
“Yeah, it’s a young room, but I believe in those guys, that they’re all working very hard. Obviously, Bailey’s (Zappe) the elder statesman right now, but Deshaun’s (Watson) in there, can provide great insight to the young guys. I trust in Coach (Bill) Musgrave, Coach (Tommy) Rees.”
When you talk to Andrew about making that deal, what’s the concern level that you’re trading Joe to a division rival that needs to start a quarterback?
“Yeah, I think we talked through all those things. I would let Andrew speak to that. I don’t want to speak for him, but I trust in his decisions.”
Kevin, you talked about how Dillon had received some reps with the starting offense the first four weeks of the regular season, even though he was quarterback two. So, this week, do you plan to split some of those last reps between Shedeur and Bailey, and then make a decision based on how they handle everything during this week?
“Need to work through it all, Daniel (Oyefusi). Again, really like the guys we have, we just got to work through it all.”
You think you’ll have three quarterbacks on the active roster for Sunday because they can have one as the emergency guy?
“We’ll see. I’m not sure.”
Is that as simple as, if you do have three, is it just Bailey, or would you guys potentially look at outside options?
“Yeah, again, I would just say it’s early in the week, early in the process.”
And could you clarify that the rule this year reverted so that if you do activate a third quarterback, he has to be on the active roster? You can’t just elevate him from the practice squad?
“I’m fairly certain that’s the rule.”
So, you’d have to do that by Friday?
“Yeah, I’m not sure.”
Kevin, with Deshaun, we’re in week six. His workouts, have they changed? Have they ramped up? Just where is he in relation to where he was?
“Yeah, he’s doing an excellent job with his rehab. We haven’t seen him as part of the throwing process with the team and those types of things, but he’s working very hard.”
Is he with his people or is he working with your guys?
“With us. Yeah.”
Do you foresee a time where he could get on the field this season?
“Yeah, I understand the question, but I’m so focused on this week, Mary Kay (Cabot).”
He’s posted a lot of videos where, and I realize posting a video and looking good doing that versus actually being in a practice football setting are two different things. But he seems to be posting a lot of stuff to say, ‘hey, physically, I’m back together and really close to being ready to go’. So, what doesn’t match up there?
“He’s working very hard, he’s doing a great job in the meeting room, he’s doing a great job in rehab. I’m not so concerned about what our guys are posting on social media.”
We’ve seen him in photos and in other places here and there, really taking Dillon under his wing and really taking Shedeur under his wing. How has that been helpful to you guys? Did that factor in at all into this whole trade by any stretch of the imagination?
“Yeah, I wouldn’t comment on that, Mary Kay, other than to say he’s been a great teammate from the jump. Like I’ve told you guys in every quarterback meeting and all those guys, when you’re in that room, everybody’s preparing, working hard, working together. So, he’s doing a great job.”
Kevin, when you talk to Shedeur, and waiting before you decide if he’s going to be number two or not, what do you need to see from him this week without Joe in that room?
“Again, I wouldn’t say there’s one thing you need to see. In my role, I have to do what’s best for our players, our team, and I’m very, very invested in our player development, our young players development, our quarterback development. So, any decision I make, I want to just make sure that I’m doing what’s right for our players.”
I guess if it doesn’t end up being Shedeur at quarterback two, just what have you seen from him to this point behind the scenes and the work that he’s put in, especially as you sort of go to two rookie quarterbacks?
“I’m really, really pleased with our young guys and how they work. This is not a group that you have to prod into doing extra, whether that’s in the weight room, in the meeting room, out on the fields. We are really pushing these guys to improve, and I see that from Shedeur, I see that from all these young guys, which is the fun part for us as coaches- to see a lot of the work that you’re putting in that’s showing up and how these guys are performing.”
Kevin, how do you get more from your receiving corps?
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a focus for us as a football team to play better on offense. Obviously to play better on offense, we need contributions from everybody. So that’s my job, that’s our coaches’ job, that’s obviously our players’ job, to make sure that we’re doing our best in those areas.”
Kevin, did you feel the need to address your veteran players about this trade and to convince them that this is the best interest of the team?
“Yeah, I talk to our veterans every day, and I think they understand what’s in front of us and what’s important.”
Were you disappointed with the way it ended for Flacco?
“You know, Joe and I had a lot of conversations, and I’ll keep those private. Obviously, he’s somebody that we in this building think very highly of. Think highly of the person, think highly of the player. Disappointed in where we are as a team, of course, but hopeful for him. But really our focus turns into what’s in front of us, which is (Pittsburgh) Steelers week.”
Was Joe in here yesterday or was he on the road?
“Yes, he was here.”
So, you guys told him in person?
“Yes.”
Okay, so now you go to Pittsburgh with two rookie quarterbacks who’ve never won a game. Do you think this could be a case of ignorance is bliss? They go there not knowing the history of this team losing in Pittsburgh for 21 straight years.
“Thanks, Tony (Grossi). Honestly, it’s the game of football, it’s the past. Doesn’t really matter, what’s in front is what matters.”
Kevin, what’s next for Dillon, coming off of that start, obviously positives and negatives. But what’s next for him? And also too, this offense getting you guys above that 17-point plateau you seem to be stuck on?
“I think there’s certainly growth with players throughout a season, and obviously you’re talking about a quarterback, you play your first game on the road or internationally if you will, against a very good team. Your second game is on the road in the division against a very good team. So, these are all great challenges for young players. And to understand that you’re trying to have incremental improvement week-to-week, and that will only come by the nature of the turns and the reps that you bring in.”
I know you say you trust everyone when we ask you about having so many rookies, but what are the challenges, whether it’s during the week, or game day from having so many young guys that you’re counting on?
“Yeah, the thing I would tell you, Scott (Petrak), is we’re counting on a lot of young guys, a lot of young guys are playing, but they’re not playing like rookies. These guys are very mature, they work very hard. So, I know what it might say on the roster in terms of experience for them, but we trust them. They put in the work, and a lot of these guys are playing good football, but they’re going to continue to get better. I expect all these guys to continue to get better.”
Can you say, did you not prefer a bye after this London game? Was it yours or the team’s idea to suggest…
“Yeah, you don’t automatically get one, in the past you used to.”
Would you have preferred the bye now or later on in the year?
“Doesn’t matter.”
Kevin, when you’re looking at this quarterback number two, how do you balance short-term versus long-term in terms of what you’re looking for, whether it’s putting Shedeur there or bringing Bailey up?
“I think it’s really important to stay in the short-term when you’re making these types of decisions, or any decision for your team. What’s most important is this week. Obviously, we have long-term development plans for all of our players in every position, but really this week is what’s most important.”
Coach, Quinshon (Judkins) coming back, obviously, he’s done a great job on the field. Just what have you seen from him, and at what point did you feel comfortable really being able to lean into him offensively?
“Yeah, I think again, going back to the previous point, these young players will just get better and better, and I think Q is a great example of a guy that we’ve tried to not put too much on his plate in that first game or the second game, but slowly bring him along, and I think every step of the way he’s answered the bell. He’s got a great demeanor on the field; he’s got a great demeanor on this building in terms of his intensity to this football team. And he’s a guy that again, we’re counting on. He’s a big piece of our system.”
Kevin, you were in the division a long time with Aaron Rodgers. What do you make of his game right now?
“Yeah, outstanding football player. Might be the best thrower of the football I’ve ever seen, just from the arm talent, the skill that he has, a ton of respect for what he’s done in his career. Playing at a high level right now. Extremely accurate, has a good feel for what they’re doing. Allows his receivers, tight ends, running backs to get good yards after the catch. He’s playing at a very high level.”
What gives you confidence that you’re going to be able to get this passing game up and running, especially with Jerry (Jeudy) struggling a little bit. How can you get this rolling?
“Yeah, we just have to work at it, Mary Kay, and just understand that it’s a precision necessary type of thing, and we need to be precise about everything we do. That’s certainly from a coaching standpoint, from a player standpoint, we just got to make sure we’re all doing our job, and those things take care of themselves.”
The 10 takeaways that the Pittsburgh defense has forced. What do they do well with that from what you guys are seeing?
“Yeah, they’ve always done an outstanding job taking the ball away. I think it’s five interceptions, five fumbles, if I’m not mistaken. They can come in droves, they get their hands on balls in their spot-drop zones, they certainly attack the football when they’re tackling. Last week was very similar against the (Minnesota) Vikings, where you have to be always aware as a ball carrier, whether you’re in any position, you’re a punt returner, kick returner, you name it, they’re coming to attack the football. So, ball security technique is an absolute premium.”
Kevin, you said you talked to your veteran leadership about the Flacco trade. Did you talk to the QB room specifically on what this means for them?
“Yeah, I won’t get into specifics, obviously, with conversations with our guys. But yeah, I mean, when these things happen, they happen fast, and sometimes you got to wait till it’s official, quote unquote. So, yeah, then you have some conversation with your guys and just let them know what this means moving forward.”
How quickly did that sort of develop? You say you were caught by surprise, but I mean, was it almost like a phone call…?
“I mean, yeah, I don’t remember the exact timing. But again, these things – when it comes to trades, they can come together very, very quickly. This is one of those that is under that. So again, we’re focused on what’s in front of us, and that’s really all we can think about right now.”
Has Shedeur pleaded his case with you a little bit and said, “hey, I’m ready, give me this chance. I really want to do this”?
“Again, all conversations I keep private with our guys. But, I think just the big picture there, Mary Kay, for me is all of our guys are working so hard, and they do a great job of keeping the main thing, the main thing. And for any young player, what’s important is just being where your feet are.”
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