4 Reasons To Feel Pessimistic About the Cleveland Browns’ 2026 Season

A mere days away from watching the Cleveland Browns sprint out of the tunnel at EverBank Stadium to kick off their 2026 regular season against the Jags, stakes couldn’t be higher for the franchise.

The team has assembled a nice core of young players as the move towards a new stadium in Brooks Park looms in the background.

Nonetheless, not everyone is feeling optimistic about the Browns chances this year, with multiple sportsbooks setting their over/under win total at 5.5 for 2026 after totaling just eight wins over the last two years combined.

Here are four reasons to feel pessimistic about the Cleveland Browns in the 2026 NFL season:

Quarterback drama

The Browns forced their way into the national spotlight courtesy of a quarterback competition that nobody saw coming a year ago. Deshaun Watson eventually took the starting role away from Shedeur Sanders, and head coach Todd Monken’s latest comments point to the possibility of the former Colorado product falling even further on the depth chart, behind sixth-round rookie Taylen Green. All this while Dillon Gabriel serves an IR stint before coming back.

Keeping four quarterbacks on the roster seems like a questionable decision, given how thin the team is at other positions, and regardless of whoever is starting, Cleveland looks once again stuck with the NFL’s worst quarterback situation, the Falcons notwithstanding.

To make matters worse, the Browns might not even finish in range to select one of the blue chip prospects available in next year’s draft, despite holding two first round picks. There’s still a long road ahead, but the short-term future doesn’t seem promising in Cleveland.

O-Line depth

Cleveland completely revamped its starting offensive line, and will begin the season with five new bodyguards in the trenches. Nonetheless, the same depth issues that plagued this unit last season remain.

Last year’s offensive line woes were mainly rooted in injuries to the starting lineup. Joel Bitonio at left guard was the only starter who didn’t miss a game last year among the Top-5, while the team scrambled for backups to plug in.

Even after the Browns got rid of a number of underperforming linemen, multiple familiar faces are back, including Teven Jenkins, who is slated to start at right guard. Other backups who are still on the team’s roster include KT Leveston, Zak Zinter, Luke Wypler, Kendrick Green and former starting left tackle Dawand Jones. They will be joined by mid-round picks Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford, with the former making a push to start in place of Jenkins.

Any injury to the starting-5 could result in more of the same problems we saw week to week in 2025.

Inexperience at the top

Head coach Todd Monken has worked in the NFL for 14 seasons, but he’s only getting his first shot at the top job at the age of 60.

His three coordinators -- Travis Switzer (offense), Mike Rutenberg (defense) and Byron Storer (special teams) -- are all in their first years at their respective positions, as well.

Pass game coordinator Danny Breyer, wide receivers coach Christian Jones, offensive analyst Travis Monken, offensive analyst Dom Borsani are also in their first years at their respective jobs.

A breath of fresh air is welcome in Berea after the two last years of lackluster performances under Kevin Stefanski, but make no mistake, there will be growing pains for this staff in 2026.

Who can get to the quarterback?

There’s no replacing Myles Garrett one-on-one, especially after his record setting season last year, no matter how you spin it. By all accounts, Jared Verse has been a fantastic addition to the defense, but his personal best of 7.5 sacks is a far cry from what the Browns are giving up without Garrett.

Having said that, Verse isn’t even the problem here. The Browns tried and failed to sign AJ Epenesa, Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith at different points in time, and ended up settling for Derek Barnett, who’s never recorded more than 6.5 sacks in nine years as a pro, and is currently slated to backup Isaiah McGuire, whose personal best stands at 2.5.

And McGuire is penciled in as a starter because the team lost Alex Wright to a season ending injury during training camp. Sam Williams, signed a week ago, is the only other defensive end on the active roster.

To say this group is underwhelming would be a gross understatement.

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