Rumors around Justin Herbert have opened the door to all kinds of wild speculation, and the Cleveland Browns are right in the middle of it.
With the Los Angeles Chargers stumbling to an unprecedented 0-7 start, the idea floating around the NFL is that they could be tempted by the right offer to tear it down and head into rebuild mode. That has led some, including ESPN Cleveland, to suggest the Browns should at least pick up the phone and see what a deal for the former Oregon Duck might look like.
The case for Cleveland is easy enough to understand. If the Browns were to move on from Deshaun Watson and chase Herbert, they’d be swinging for a quarterback who could instantly change the conversation.
In 2022, Cleveland already gave up pretty much its entire future to land Watson, and everyone knows how that played out before 2026 began. Watson is now 31 and in the final year of his contract, so any move for Herbert would require another massive package.
There’s also the football side of it, and that’s where the risk starts to pile up. Herbert has no off-field legal issues, but his production has still been questioned. Some point to the system around him or the quality of the opponents he’s faced, but the numbers are still ugly: Herbert leads the NFL with 10 interceptions.
That’s why the move feels so dangerous for Cleveland, especially with a potentially loaded 2027 rookie quarterback class on the horizon. The Browns would be betting huge assets on a player who would have to justify an enormous cost.
At the same time, the upside is obvious. If Cleveland landed Herbert, he would likely be the best quarterback the franchise has had since Baker Mayfield.
In some eyes, he’s already well beyond that. And he wouldn’t be walking into a bare cupboard.
The Browns have the second-youngest team in the NFL, plus back-to-back strong draft classes, which would give Herbert a talented supporting cast right away.
That’s why some people have framed him as the kind of “missing piece” Cleveland has been searching for. Before 2026, plenty of observers believed the Browns were only a quarterback away from being a real contender.
Still, the odds of Cleveland making a move for Madison Beer’s fiancé are slim. If Herbert were ever dealt, though, it would be the clearest sign yet that the Chargers are ready to reset the whole operation.
And if that happens, the Browns may have a bigger target in mind anyway. Their biggest need right now is offensive line help, and if Los Angeles is willing to deal Herbert, it raises the question of whether other pieces could be available too. Joe Alt or Rashawn Slater would fit that kind of thinking.
So while the Herbert chatter is the headline, the Browns’ best path might be something else entirely. If the Chargers are truly open for business, Cleveland could take a big swing - just not necessarily at the quarterback everyone is talking about.
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Baker Mayfield Just Added Another Twist To His Browns Split
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Mayfield also added a new wrinkle off the field, saying Stefanski never reached out after Cleveland traded him. That detail only sharpens the contrast between the two figures and helps explain why the breakup still lands differently with fans depending on which side they were on. Even now, with Mayfield winning elsewhere and Stefanski trying to build in Atlanta, the old divorce keeps producing fresh reactions. [Read more 🡒]