The Cleveland Browns did not end 2025 with the record they were hoping for. They only earned five victories last year and have only won eight over the last two seasons.
Obviously, they are hoping for more than that in 2026, although expectations need to be kept in check. The team has undergone some promising changes in the offseason, but they may not pay off just yet.
A number of NFL experts made their predictions for the Browns’ record in 2026, and many of them aren’t pretty. Colleen Wolfe, Nick Shook, and Dan Parr only gave them a 4-13 record, while Lance Zierlein was a little more generous with 5-12. Bucky Brooks has the most hope for the Browns, delivering a 6-11 prediction.
But Grant Gordon and Brooke Cersosimo have almost no faith in Cleveland and envision the team winning just three and two games, respectively. If that ends up being the case, the Browns could be making even more changes in the next offseason.
These are just predictions, made solely on the history of the team and the adjustments they have made recently. They could be wildly off base, for better or for worse. The Browns might end up doing far better than these experts think, or they could come up short and prove Gordon and Cersosimo right.
Although the predictions vary, it’s clear that there isn’t a lot of hope for the Browns right now. That’s understandable given their past and how long it takes for teams to improve. Even though they have drafted and signed multiple talented players, change doesn’t happen overnight. There are many optimistic Browns fans, but even they admit that 2026 might not be a massive difference from 2025.
The Browns may not be rushing to the Super Bowl in the new season, but there is an expectation that they will show improvements, even if they aren’t huge ones. If they don’t at least prove they are pointed in the right direction, there will be calls from the fans for even bigger changes.
Because of last season, the bar will be set low for the Browns in 2026, which means they need to work hard to surpass it or risk serious pushback from their fans.
NEXT: Insider Names The Real X-Factor For Browns This Season
