Once the Cleveland Browns settle on their next head coach, the next order of business will be figuring out the best path forward at the quarterback position. 

Vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry was unwilling to commit to any one player, internal or external, as the starter for next season. Those comments set the stage for himself and whoever is working alongside him to consider all options this offseason.  

In truth, so much of that conversation will be driven by the next head coach. Right now, it feels like the room is likely to include some of the players who are already a part of it, from Shedeur Sanders to Deshaun Watson.

But it's never too early to start thinking ahead about what other options exist out there to fill out the QB depth chart. Here are five potential names to keep in mind for the Browns: 

Jones has been one of the more prominent names to come up when talking about the Browns QB room. A former first-round pick of the New England Patriots, Jones found a fresh start in the Bay and proved that in the right situation, there's a viable quarterback in there somewhere.

Serving as a backup to Brock Purdy, Jones wound up appearing in 11 games for the 49ers, starting eight of them. He completed a career-high 69.6% of his passes, for 2,151 yards, 13 TDs, and 6 INTs.

Those numbers aren't eye-popping, but as the Browns try to piece together a competitive QB room for 2026 and figure out what they have for the future, it may be worth exploring a trade for Jones.

That said, based on the comments made by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch this week, they don't necessarily seem too keen on moving him right now. 

Willis is another notable name that has popped up as someone the Browns should consider this offseason, and unlike Jones, he can be had via free agency. Now, like Jones, Willis is more evidence that situation and coaching matters. 

In several spot starts for Green Bay over the last couple season, Willis has increased his value around the league as a potential starting QB option for some teams. Over the last two seasons, he's appeared in 11 games, completing 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Can it translate into being a full-time starter? There's bound to be at least one team that tries to find out. Spotrac lists his market value at about $10.6 million per year. That could be doable for Cleveland once Berry moves some money around. 

This is hardly the best option out there, but this year's QB market and draft class offers slim pickings. The 35-year-old revived his career in Seattle over the last few seasons, but took a big step back with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025. 

Smith threw for a little over 3,000 yards, had 19 TDs and a league-leading 17 interceptions. It didn't help that there was very little talent around him, but a split seems inevitable.

Any team that acquires Smith would be on the hook for all of his $26.5 million base figure, but Las Vegas could always eat some of that by converting it to bonus money in order to entice a team to take him. It's hardly a perfect solution, but in a world where the Browns are trying to bridge their QB situation, maybe they give it a shot. 

This year's rookie QB class is essentially Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and the field, with Dante Moore opting to return to school next season. Simpson is likely to be the QB2 of the class now, but he enters the league with plenty of rawness. 

The Browns just took two QBs last year in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, so taking another one might seem far-fetched, but you never know. The pre-draft process will be an opportunity for Cleveland to decide if it wants to take another one, especially earlier in the draft. 

Maybe the Browns will fall in love with someone like Simpson or the new coach will want him. Time will tell. 

There was a lot of smoke linking the Browns to Cousins last year, and that infamous picture of him at a local Chipotle that caused quite the stir. In the end, Atlanta opted for holding onto the 37-year-old veteran. 

One year later, though, it sounds like Cousins is going to force the issue again on leaving. Unless, of course, the arrival of Kevin Stefanski changes his mind. Those two have history together from their time in Minnesota, where Stefanski called plays with Cousins at QB. 

Would the ex-Browns coach really do them any favors by sending him to Cleveland? Or by helping eat any of his $67.9 million base salary for 2027, which becomes guaranteed a few days into the new league year? It's unlikely. 

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