The Browns open the 2026 season buried near the bottom of the league’s power rankings, and the national consensus is pretty clear: Cleveland has to earn its way out of that basement.
Across the major outlets, the Browns come in with an average ranking of 30.6, a reflection of the quarterback uncertainty and the departure of Myles Garrett. That combination is enough to keep Cleveland in the “prove it first” category before anyone is willing to give the team much credit.
CBS Sports slotted the Browns at No. 31 and summed up the roster problem plainly: “They have talent on their roster. They just don’t have a quarterback. The good news is the college draft will be loaded with them next year.”
ESPN also placed Cleveland at No. 31, but focused on a defense chasing history. The Browns have gone 45 straight games without allowing a quarterback to throw for 300 yards, the longest streak in the NFL since the Colts went 52 games from 2005 to 2008.
Cleveland could break the record in Week 8, when it visits the Steelers. That chase, though, comes without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and with Mike Rutenberg stepping in as the new coordinator.
NFL.com had the Browns at No. 30 and zeroed in on the quarterback mess. The outlet noted that Cleveland “found a way to unite their fans in disgust by naming Deshaun Watson the starter two days after he was lustily booed during a ghastly performance on his home field.” It also projected a change under center by Week 3, which would say plenty about how the Browns are expected to handle their first two games of 2026 - road trips to Jacksonville and Tampa Bay.
Sporting News put Cleveland at No. 32, the lowest spot in the group, and tied the ranking to the loss of Garrett. The outlet wrote that the Browns are hoping for some return pop from Jared Verse, but that the defense is likely weaker overall without its tone-setting leader. That’s not exactly ideal for a toggling-QB offense.
Yahoo Sports also had the Browns at No. 30, calling the Watson decision “a weird, bad decision.” The outlet said that choice overshadows the promising young talent elsewhere on the roster, while pointing to rookie receiver KC Concepcion as a first-round pick who should make an immediate impact.
Bleacher Report matched Yahoo and NFL.com at No. 30, arguing that Cleveland belongs in the bottom tier because of its quarterback situation. The outlet pointed to the Browns’ young talent and “the bones of a defense that ranked fourth overall last season-with Jared Verse trying to replace the departed Myles Garrett.”
It also noted that even with Garrett, Cleveland still managed only five wins, largely because of poor quarterback play. Bleacher Report said the return of Deshaun Watson does not meaningfully improve the position, and suggested the 2027 quarterback class could push Cleveland toward a future with fewer wins than it had a year ago.
The outlet closed with a blunt bit of sarcasm about the direction of the roster, writing: “Maybe the best way to get into position for a premium quarterback in the 2027 draft is to trade DE Myles Garrett … and start QB Deshaun Watson behind an offensive line that only retained one (spot) starter from 2026. Genius.”
For now, the message from around the league is simple: the Browns are stuck near the bottom until they show something that changes the conversation.
In Other News...
Shedeur Sanders Browns Store Surprise Sparked Instant Fan Speculation
For a brief stretch, Browns fans shopping the teams official online store saw Shedeur Sanders jerseys marked down at a steep discount, and that was all it took to set off a fresh wave of speculation on social media. In a sport where every small detail gets read like a clue, a sudden price change on a players jersey can feel a lot bigger than a routine sale.
The discount did not last long, and the price quickly returned to normal. There has been no official indication of any roster move involving Sanders, who remains with Cleveland and is expected to be available as a backup quarterback, even as fans continue to watch for any hint of what might come next. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Have One Big Reason To Buy Into Todd Monken
Todd Monkens arrival gives the Browns something they have been missing for a while: an offensive mind with a track record of shaping his approach to fit the players in front of him. That matters in Cleveland, where the quarterback picture remains unsettled but the roster does include a collection of young skill players who could benefit from a coach willing to tailor the system instead of forcing one style on everyone. Liam Coens praise of Monken only adds to the sense that his influence stretches well beyond his own sideline.
For Browns fans, the appeal is less about a slogan and more about the possibility that Monken can build something workable even while the most important position is still in flux. His history across different stops suggests adaptability, and that kind of flexibility can buy a coaching staff time while young players develop and the offense sorts itself out. In a season where stability feels hard to find, that alone gives Cleveland a reason to be intrigued. [Read more 🡒]
Why Browns Are Still Betting Everything On Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson is still set to open the season as the Browns starting quarterback even though he has not played in 22 months, a decision that says plenty about how Cleveland sees the next stretch of its future. The team has added three quarterbacks in the draft recently, but the plan remains centered on Watson, whose arrival has kept the organization tied to a high-stakes bet that has not yet been answered on the field.
Watson has framed the season as a defining one for him, and he has drawn a parallel to Todd Monken, who is in his first NFL head coaching season at age 60 and working under a five-year contract. For both men, there is a sense that this year carries real career weight, and in Watsons case the timing adds another layer, since his contract situation points to 2026 as likely his final season in Cleveland. [Read more 🡒]