Joe Thomas knows the Browns’ quarterback problem as well as anyone, and he’s not sounding like a man who expects the answer to be sitting in Cleveland’s building right now.
That’s the big takeaway from his latest comments, which point straight toward the 2027 NFL draft as the real target for a franchise that has spent decades searching for stability at the game’s most important position. Thomas, who played all 11 of his seasons with the Browns and endured the full chaos of the franchise’s ups and downs, said Cleveland appears to be positioning itself for a rookie quarterback down the road.
“The Browns, they’re never going to come out and say it, but you trade the greatest defensive player in history of football at his peak, you are not thinking about this year," Thomas told The Land on Demand's Tony Grossi. "We don’t have an answer yet at quarterback.
Maybe one of these two guys turns into that guy, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it, so to speak. It’s pretty obvious that they want to set themselves up as well as possible for the probability of drafting a rookie quarterback.”
Thomas has been around Berea this preseason, helping the offensive line while turning down a full-time spot on Todd Monken’s staff. Even without an official coaching title, his read on the situation lands with extra force.
The Browns’ trade of Myles Garrett changed the timeline. However Cleveland feels about the deal itself, moving a player of that caliber at his peak sent a clear message: 2026 is not being treated like a true contending season. The hope now is that the return from that move helps shape the next version of the team.
And that next version almost certainly needs a quarterback who is not already on the roster.
Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are battling for QB1 heading into the season, but the long view in Cleveland points elsewhere. Watson hasn’t reached 1,200 passing yards in a season since 2020 with the Houston Texans. Since missing all of 2021, he has produced 3,365 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 games over three seasons with the Browns.
Sanders at least gave the Browns something to evaluate in 2025, when he threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 56.6% of his passes in eight games, seven of them starts. But the uneven play was obvious, and the reports about concerns from multiple coaching staffs regarding his command of the huddle and pre-snap operation only reinforce the idea that he’s still a project.
That’s a tough profile to pin your future on at football’s hardest position.
The betting market doesn’t suggest a major leap is coming in 2026, either. DraftKings has Cleveland’s win total at 5.5. If that number holds true, the Browns could once again be drafting near the top of the board while also holding an additional first-round pick from the Los Angeles Rams, though that selection is expected to land late in the opening round.
Those picks could matter a lot. If Cleveland decides its quarterback of the future is not available where it’s drafting, multiple first-rounders could give the team the ammo to move up and get him.
That’s where the focus starts to widen beyond the Browns’ own roster and into the college game. Thomas’ point is that the more important quarterback evaluations may come on Saturdays this fall, not Sundays. The names that could end up mattering most to Cleveland include Texas’ Arch Manning, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss.
The Browns don’t necessarily need one clear-cut star to take over the draft. What they need is a group of quarterbacks to establish themselves as real first-round options, giving Cleveland choices when the time comes.
That’s the uncomfortable truth hanging over the franchise again: the next quarterback who changes everything is more likely to be found in college than in the Browns’ current quarterback room.
And if Thomas is right, Cleveland already knows it.
In Other News...
Browns QB Battle Is Raising A Bigger Concern Before Preseason
The Browns still have not settled their Week 1 quarterback, and Todd Monken is using the preseason to let both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders get turns under center before making anything official. That kind of setup usually buys a team time, but it also puts a sharper spotlight on every practice rep, especially when the offense is trying to sort out timing, command and clean operation at a spot that drives everything else.
What has made this competition feel a little less straightforward is the sloppiness showing up around the edges. Reports out of practice have pointed to penalties and uneven execution in two-minute work, the sort of sequence that can expose a young offense in a hurry and leave a coach visibly irritated. With preseason games approaching, the Browns are still searching for clarity, and the bigger concern may be less about who wins the job and more about whether the offense can get organized enough to support whoever does. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Monken Is Already Under Pressure After Browns Camp Blowup
A rough training camp day has already put Todd Monken in an uncomfortable spotlight as he prepares for his first NFL preseason game as a head coach. After a practice session went off the rails because of repeated offensive mistakes, Monken cut things short and later said the moment left him needing to take a hard look at how he was coaching a Browns team built around a young roster and a staff still learning on the fly.
Monken has since tried to steady the tone around camp, but the episode was a reminder that patience can run thin quickly when a new regime is trying to establish itself. With Cleveland still sorting through growing pains in a season that will test both players and coaches, the bigger question now is whether the sideline response becomes a one-off frustration or a sign of deeper pressure ahead. [Read more 🡒]