The Cleveland Browns have been predicted to go 5-12 next season.
The Cleveland Browns went 5-12 last season and finished last in the AFC North.
Todd Monken replaced Kevin Stefanski, who was fired and joined the Atlanta Falcons as their new HC, this offseason and the Browns had a solid 2026 draft.
Cleveland drafted Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Austin Barber, Parker Brailsford, Justin Jefferson, Joe Royer, Taylen Green and Carsen Ryan.
With the draft and free agency over, the Browns' 2026 roster is pretty much set and the team has been predicted to win five games again in Year 1 of the Monken era. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report thinks Cleveland will go 5-12 in 2026. Here is why:
"Given what we've seen from Watson as a member of the Browns, it'll be hard to have high expectations in Cleveland," Knox wrote. "And with Watson emerging as the early front-runner, it's fair to wonder if the Browns will be trying to win in 2026 or if they're setting the table for a 2027 QB target."
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Watson emerged from the Browns' voluntary minicamp as the favorite to be the team's starting quarterback. Watson has the inside track to be Cleveland's QB1 in 2026.
Suspension and injuries have limited Watson to 19 games since he arrived in Cleveland. Since making his Browns debut, Watson has posted a 33.1 Total QBR, the lowest among qualified passers.
A Clemson product, Watson has 3,365 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns with Cleveland. He's thrown 12 interceptions.
"Anytime that you have a player that at one time has exhibited the skill set at an elite level," Monken said of Watson. "I think you're always going to give them the benefit of the doubt that somehow we might be able to get that out of him again, and I think that's how you should look at every player."
The Browns restructured Watson's contract in March. Cleveland freed up close to $36 million in cap space. Watson was set to have an $80.7 million cap hit in 2026, the largest in the NFL. He signed a five-year deal worth a fully guaranteed $230 million deal upon being traded to Cleveland before the 2022 season.
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