Happy Labor Day weekend, Browns fans.
The countdown is nearly over. The 2026 NFL regular season opens Wednesday night with the Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots, and Thursday will bring the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers from Melbourne, Australia. Then comes the one Browns fans have been waiting for: next Sunday, Cleveland opens its first regular-season game under head coach Todd Monken against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Before that arrives, here’s the latest Sunday Dawg Chow.
Among the Browns items making the rounds, Jared Mueller laid out “5 reasons I’m excited, 3 reasons I’m concerned” about Cleveland’s 2026 season. He also dug into what the Browns may need from their passing game if they want to make the playoffs, noting that there are plenty of unknowns heading into the opener - including how Monken will handle his first NFL head-coaching job, what the drop from Myles Garrett to Jared Verse means for the defense, and how the younger players will look with fewer veterans around them. Mueller also looked at the league’s quarterback cycle and asked whether the 5,000-yard passer is disappearing, with the Browns hoping Monken and the offense are set even if Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or Taylen Green do not yet look like franchise quarterbacks.
There’s also some buzz around rookie KC Concepcion, whom cleveland.com described as potentially Todd Monken’s most dangerous weapon this season. The piece pointed to Concepcion’s ability to help as a receiver, runner, and punt returner, giving Cleveland a player who can impact all three phases without needing everything else around him to be perfect.
Health remains a storyline up front, too. The Beacon Journal reported that the Browns are hoping better health can lift the defensive line entering the opener after injuries hit multiple areas during training camp, with that unit taking the biggest punch.
Elsewhere, Browns Zone took a look at Spencer Fano’s rise to the No. 9 pick and traced it back to footwork drills his dad made him do when he was 6, using the humble agility ladder as the starting point for that climb.
There was also an exclusive Browns YouTube interview with Adin Huntington, with Nathan Zegura talking to him about going into year 2, what drives him, and his move into a starting role.
Around the league, ESPN examined whether Kyler Murray can solve the Vikings’ long-running quarterback issues. The Athletic reported on Jayden Daniels and the challenge of learning a new offense, starting with how to huddle. And NFL.com highlighted Greg Newsome’s comments ahead of Week 1, where the Giants cornerback called George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb “Great players, but I like our chances” before New York’s prime-time matchup with Dallas.
In Other News...
Browns QB Pressure Is Building Faster Than Fans Expected
With Week 1 approaching, the Browns quarterback conversation is already drifting well beyond the usual backup chatter. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has been weighing the possibilities behind Deshaun Watson, including rookie Taylen Green as a candidate for QB2 and the chance that Shedeur Sanders could wind up inactive when the season opens.
Watson is still the starter, but the early part of the schedule is going to shape how long that remains unquestioned. The larger intrigue is what happens if the offense stumbles out of the gate, because Cabots reporting suggests Sanders could become part of the mix sooner rather than later if Watson does not deliver early. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Just Made A Cornerback Decision Fans Will Hate
The Browns continued to shuffle their cornerback room by signing Noah Igbinoghene and sending undrafted rookie Michael Coats Jr. to the practice squad, a move that immediately stood out because Coats had turned heads in preseason action. Igbinoghene brings six years of NFL experience, but most of that resume has come with limited results and a heavy emphasis on special teams, which makes this more than a routine depth adjustment for a defense trying to sort out its back end.
For Cleveland, the decision also adds another layer to an offseason that has already sparked questions about how the team balances proven experience against the upside of younger players. Coats showed enough in the summer to at least put himself in the conversation, so moving him off the main roster suggests the Browns still see something different in how they want that spot handled. Whether this is a short-term reset or a sign of where the staff is leaning with its developmental priorities is the part that will keep fans watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Just Reopened A Backup QB Battle Behind Deshaun Watson
With the Browns working through the final stretch before Week 1, Todd Monken left the door open to a backup quarterback competition behind Deshaun Watson. The roster already has four quarterbacks on it, with rookie Taylen Green now in the conversation alongside Shedeur Sanders, while Dillon Gabriel is on injured reserve and not part of the immediate mix. Watson is coming back after multiple injuries, which has made the depth chart behind him a topic worth watching.
Monken said it is possible Cleveland could activate three quarterbacks on game day, though he stopped short of saying that will happen. That leaves the Browns with a little more uncertainty than teams usually want heading into the opener, especially with two young passers trying to carve out a role behind a starter still proving he can stay on the field. For now, the backup job remains unsettled, and the next few practices will matter for anyone hoping to dress on Sunday. [Read more 🡒]