Cleveland Browns fans are hoping 2026 will look much better than the last few seasons. With all the changes the team has undergone recently, it seems reasonable to expect the Browns to improve and secure a better record.
But what if they don’t? What if all the changes they made don’t improve things, and they are stuck in the same position when next season comes to a close? Writing for CBS Sports, Tyler Sullivan envisioned a scenario where that happens.
He said that both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson could come up short, and the Browns could once again look for a new QB, as well as a different coach.
“Worst-case: Watson wins the job over Sanders, but neither puts together an awe-inspiring training camp. Monken leans toward the veteran, but Watson continues to look like the version he’s been throughout his time in Cleveland. That results in the Browns finishing last in the AFC North and owning one of the worst records in the NFL, leading to Monken being one-and-done. They enter the 2027 offseason once again searching for a new head coach and a new quarterback,” Sullivan wrote.
In all likelihood, Todd Monken is probably safe no matter what happens in 2026. When the Browns hired him, they knew that he had a huge task ahead of him. They brought him to Cleveland so that he could totally transform the way the Browns operate. This is a big and possibly long process.
Even if the Browns aren’t remarkably better than they were over the last few seasons, Monken is likely to stay. However, if Watson and Sanders both have troubles, the team will almost certainly be on the hunt for a new quarterback.
There are already rumors about quarterbacks they could potentially pursue next year, and those rumors will grow if Watson gets injured again and Sanders doesn’t grow during his second season. The Browns have been very busy this offseason, and that is creating more expectations about how they will perform in 2026.
If they don’t show undeniable improvement, people will demand more changes, perhaps even shocking and significant ones.
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