There are a whole lot of new faces in the Cleveland Browns organization both on the roster and with the coaching staff. It’s understandable if the fans will need a little time to get acclimated to all the new faces, but these are exciting times as so many of these new talents represent a new era in what should hopefully be one of the brightest in franchise history.
The 2025 rookie class was exceptional, and early indications suggest that the 2026 class could be equally as special, albeit in a much different way. The Browns had obvious needs heading into the draft and GM Andrew Berry addressed those needs by bringing in Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the first two rounds, but there’s another big name who is still a major X-factor on this team.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot called into 92.3 The Fan recently and spoke about how great the rookies have looked thus far before identifying potential starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders as the X-factor. Everyone else on this offense can ball out, but none of it matters if the quarterback situation doesn’t finally get resolved.
“”KC (Concepcion) had a great camp. Denzel Boston had an excellent spring…and so did (Emmanuel McNeil-Warren) before he got hurt. The rookie class looks really good. The X-factor would be Shedeur…that’s the one…,” said Cabot.
"KC (Concepcion) had a great camp. Denzel Boston had an excellent spring…and so did (Emmanuel McNeil-Warren) before he got hurt. The rookie class looks really good. The X-factor would be Shedeur…that's the one…"
🚨 @MaryKayCabot w/ @earldapearl_216 and @Spencito_ on… pic.twitter.com/5d0RgjfsYy
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 11, 2026
Cabot is as clued into this team as anybody, and even she isn’t certain who the starting quarterback is going to be. Deshaun Watson had the upper hand throughout the offseason, but it’s evident that Sanders’ strong showing during OTAs convinced new head coach Todd Monken to take a little more time before making a decision.
It’s the most important year of Sanders’ career because if he doesn’t solidify himself as the starter and potential franchise QB this season, Berry has two first-round picks in 2027 to take another shot at finding a long-term solution at the position. There is a wide range of outcomes for both Sanders and this offense in general, but it all starts and ends with him and Watson.
Even if Watson does beat out Sanders, he’ll likely have a short leash and he can’t be fully counted on after playing in just 19 games over the past five years. Hopefully for this fan base’s sake, either he or Sanders can buck the odds because a great season from one of them can get this team back in playoff contention.
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