The Browns’ quarterback picture is still unsettled, and that naturally opens the door to a familiar kind of Cleveland conversation: what if the answer was already in the building once before?
With Shedeur Sanders expected to get every chance to win the job and Deshaun Watson still in the mix, the Browns have plenty of moving parts at quarterback. Fans and analysts have tossed around names like Malik Willis, Mac Jones, Ty Simpson and Brendan Sorsby. But if Cleveland could reach back into its own past and pull a former quarterback into this race, a few names would instantly make the room more interesting.
Joe Flacco belongs in that group. His second stint with the Browns didn’t finish cleanly, but the story wasn’t as simple as it looked.
Kevin Stefanski kept him on a tight leash because of turnover concerns, and Flacco never really got to play with the freedom that fits his style. Once he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, he started to look like himself again.
He also already knows Todd Monken’s offense from his time with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. He isn’t a runner, but with a better offensive line and a stronger receiver group, his willingness to attack downfield would at least make the Browns a far more watchable team at quarterback.
And for all the noise around the Deshaun Watson era, Flacco, at age 38, gave Cleveland its most competent quarterback play in 2023. That’s a low bar, but it still says something.
The arm talent is still there.
Jameis Winston would bring a different kind of chaos. He’s the sort of quarterback who feels like he should be required viewing for a few games every season just because the possibilities are so wild.
Winston can be brilliant, reckless, or both in the same stretch of plays, and you never quite know which version is coming next. But when he’s rolling, he can carve up a defense.
He also showed real chemistry with Jerry Jeudy, and he spent three seasons under Monken in Tampa Bay. In those 40 games together, Winston threw for 10,586 yards and 66 touchdowns, averaging about 265 passing yards per game, while also tossing 43 interceptions.
That’s the full Jameis experience in one stat line.
Then there’s Baker Mayfield, the one Browns fans may not want to hear about but probably know is the cleanest answer. He wore out his welcome in Cleveland and brought plenty of drama with him, but the Browns didn’t exactly give him stability either.
Mayfield has his own consistency issues and a personality that can rub people the wrong way, yet he’s still a franchise-level quarterback. Cleveland has rarely had that in its expansion era, and Mayfield was the closest thing to it.
Even with constant changes around him, he delivered the franchise’s only playoff win since 1994. After what he’s done in Tampa Bay in recent seasons, he would walk into this Browns quarterback competition and win it without breaking a sweat.
In Other News...
Browns Fans Just Got A Striking New Sign On Draft Day Choice
The Browns draft-night posture said plenty about where this franchise is right now. With the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Cleveland passed on the quarterback conversation and went with left tackle Spencer Fano, continuing a pattern of caution around the games most important position. It was the kind of move that tells you the Browns are still looking to build the right foundation before forcing a long-term answer under center.
Ty Simpsons slide through the early part of the draft only sharpened the debate around how teams evaluated him, and Clevelands choice added another layer to that picture. The Browns have been careful about taking a quarterback unless the entire organization is aligned on the move, and this selection fit that approach. For fans hoping the draft would finally deliver a fresh start at quarterback, the message was more about patience than a quick fix. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Isnt The Only Browns Contract Fans Should Be Worried About
Deshaun Watsons fully guaranteed $230 million contract has long been the obvious anchor around the Browns cap picture, but it is not the only deal that could leave the front office paying premium prices for less-than-premium production. Clevelands books have been shaped by that quarterback commitment for years, and the team is still sorting through the ripple effects of spending big on players whose value has not always matched the number attached to their name.
Tyson Campbell and Zion Johnson are the other contracts that stand out as the Browns evaluate where the roster is headed next. Campbell is set to make top-15 cornerback money, while Johnson is lined up among the highest-paid left guards, and both situations raise the same question Cleveland has been forced to ask more than once: is the team paying for upside, or paying past it? The good news for the Browns is that the financial picture should ease after this season, even if the Watson deal continues to cast a shadow for a while longer. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Still Has Denzel Ward Among The NFLs Best Corners
ESPNs latest positional rankings offered another reminder that Denzel Ward still belongs in the conversation with the NFLs best cornerbacks, even if the Browns veteran no longer sits as high as he once did. Ward remains one of the leagues more respected cover men thanks to his speed and steady play, a reputation that has helped him stay on the radar even as Clevelands roster has gone through plenty of change and the team has dealt with the fallout from the Myles Garrett trade.
Wards place in the rankings has taken a hit compared with where he stood a year ago, and there is some sense that the Browns recent struggles have played a role in how voters view him. Even so, the broader picture around Cleveland is not one of a teardown, with Andrew Berry not signaling a fire sale and Ward expected to stay put, leaving the Browns with one of the more recognizable defensive backs in the AFC. [Read more 🡒]