Iis clear that the quarterback position is the main need for the Cleveland Browns, who are projected to be the fifth-worst team in the NFL heading into the 2026 season. According to sportsbooks, only the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, and Arizona Cardinals rank below the Browns, although these projections change daily.
There is no doubt that the Browns have one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by Myles Garrett, who set the single-season sack record with 23 in 2025, surpassing the 22.5 mark previously shared by Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor and current Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt.
Cleveland’s defensive dominance was so significant that at least four of their five wins in 2025 came thanks to that unit. That is why Todd Monken’s main objective as head coach is to fix the offense, his area of expertise, and the first step is finding his quarterback – the Browns’ true problem.
Browns will seek quarterback depth
Heading into the 2026 season, the Browns have three quarterbacks under contract, and all of them raise more questions than answers. Deshaun Watson never became the player the franchise expected when they signed him in 2022 to a five-year, $230 million deal. He has not played since 2024 due to injuries. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders showed flashes but does not appear to be enough, and Dillon Gabriel was a major disappointment.
Mary Kay Cabot, Browns insider, revealed that despite the limited talent available in the Draft, the franchise will look for quarterbacks there, in free agency, or via trade:
“It’s not a great year, once again, to be needing a quarterback, and unless they have something up their sleeve that we do not know about, I think that they are potentially going to be looking at Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders. They’re going to leave no stone unturned, and they are going to look for quarterbacks either in the draft, free agency, or a trade, so it’s not over yet. We don’t know exactly what that quarterback room is going to look like yet,” Cabot said on Orange and Brown Talk.
Before the season began, the Browns were clear favorites to select a quarterback in the first round with one of their two picks. However, after Arch Manning’s decision to return for another year with the Longhorns, along with Drew Allar and Cade Klubnik doing the same, it appears that the competition – at least for this year – will be between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders.
There is also speculation that the Browns, particularly Todd Monken, may target Malik Willis in free agency, a player with a skill set similar to Lamar Jackson, whom Monken helped develop into the 2023 MVP. However, the former Liberty standout is expected to be highly sought after. This story still has many chapters left to unfold, and once again, the Browns are set to grab the spotlight.
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