The Cleveland Browns have seen quite a bit of struggle in the past few years, especially the last two or three years. For some, it feels like the Browns may just be a quarterback away from contending for a wild card playoff spot, as they have bright spots on the roster. Despite some of the league’s best talent, such as star DE Myles Garrett, the Browns have only won eight games in their past two seasons. With the 2025 season behind us and the 2026 season on the horizon, here is what you need to know about the near future.
2025 Recap
The Browns had just finished up a 3-14 campaign in 2024, and locked in the 2nd overall pick. However, on 2025 draft day, the Browns traded this pick to the jaguars for the fifth overall pick, selecting DT Mason Graham. They went onto draft big names like LB Carson Schwesinger, RB Quinshon Judkins, and TE Harold Fannin Jr. A big controversy came out of the Browns drafting two quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel out of Oregon, and Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado. This totaled the number of QBs on the 53-man roster to five for Cleveland, which ended up being three by the beginning of the season. During the season, the Browns rookies showed out, with Carson Schwesinger winning Defensive Rookie of the Year, and both rookie quarterbacks getting starting time. Fans rallied for QB Shedeur Sanders, who recorded 8 total touchdowns, and 11 turnovers. The biggest moment of the Browns season, however, was easily when Myles Garrett broke the single-season sack record, finishing with 23 sacks.
Todd Monken & Jim Schwartz
During the season, fans were calling for head coach Kevin Stefanski to be fired, as the disappointment would not stop and there did not seem to be enough change happening to stop it. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam listened, and fired Stefanski. The community believed it was a hot spot for a new coach, but many candidates dropped out and took other jobs instead. Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz was a big name for the job, but it ultimately went to former Ravens’ Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken. Monken was part of the staff that initially hoped to draft Sanders in Baltimore, which gave fans of the young quarterback hope. Schwartz, upset with the Browns’ decision to hire Monken over him, decided to resign as the Defensive Coordinator and leave the Browns.
QB Situation
Many Browns fans are divided on who the quarterback should be, as both rookies led disappointing seasons, and QB Deshaun Watson is going into the last year of his fully-guaranteed 5-year $230 million dollar contract. While Sanders is on contract with the browns for at least 2 more years than Watson, the promise Watson showed while playing for the Houston Texans leaves a question mark on who would lead the team better. While all immediate options have shown promise, some Browns fans are looking at other options via free agency and the draft.
Free Agency & Draft
Free agency seems like a far-away dream for the Browns, as their cap situation is incredibly demanding. However, quarterbacks such as Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, and likely Kirk Cousins will be available. More interesting prospects will be available too outside of the quarterback position, such as WR George Pickens and DE Trey Hendrickson. On the other side of the coin, the Browns will also lose many players to free agency, such as fan-favorite TE David Njoku. While contract renegotiations can free up cap space, the Browns will look to make the bigger impact in the 2026 Draft. The Browns hold the 6th and 24th overall pick, with many interesting prospects available.
The Browns have a need at the WR and OL positions, so these prospects would fit very well in Cleveland:
- Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
- Jordan Tyson, WR, Arizona State
- Makai Lemon, WR, USC
- Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami
- Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
- Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Browns fans hope to see at least one of these talented young players join the Dawg Pound in 2026.
2026 Season & Expectations
With all that in mind, what can we expect from the Browns in 2026?
Unless the Browns were to take a big swing at free agency, the starting quarterback in Week 1 will likely be Shedeur Sanders. The fans love him, the coach has been in on him since day 1, and it is not fully guaranteed that Watson will be healthy by the start of the 2026 season.
In terms of record? Anywhere from 6-11 to 8-9.
The Browns have a fair shot of improving their win total from last year, but there is too much missing to seriously compete in the AFC with stars like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow. The rookies the Browns drafted in 2025 are a great foundation for a better 2026, but potential can only take a team so far, and the change of scenery in the coaching staff will have quite the learning curve.
Conclusion
The Browns have a much more talented roster than many people around the league think, but the Browns need to stop beating themselves before they can beat any other team. Todd Monken will look to introduce a new culture to Cleveland, which fans can only hope is a winning one. Fans have a lot to be excited about, and this Cleveland team has a lot of promise to improve from their disappointing 2025 campaign. Ultimately, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and like Coach Stefanski always says, we just need to get better!
