One of the most interesting things about the Cleveland Browns is their wide range of potential outcomes in the 2026 season. With a new head coach in Todd Monken, as many as nine new starters on offense, and without one of the best players in their history, anything seems possible.
That’s not even mentioning the huge remaining decision on the Browns’ starting quarterback. The possibilities for Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are as unpredictable as any two players in the entire NFL.
Despite these significant uncertainties, analyst Brandon Perna recently shared an optimistic outlook for the Browns’ 2026 season, banking on the pairing of Monken and Sanders.
“As dysfunctional as they are, I’ll put the Browns over the Jets (at No. 29). I mean, they won the Jared Verse trade. Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, add a couple receivers there. Harold Fannin, I thought, was playing pretty well. Judkins was playing well. Who’s gonna be quarterback Week 1? I don’t know. I’m hoping it’s Shedeur. I think I just wanna watch Shedeur play every game next season and just see what happens. I’m rooting for Todd Monken. I want the Browns’ offense to be really good with Shedeur and Todd Monken. That’s what I want for Browns fans,” Perna said.
Perna was ranking NFL teams with ESPN host Mina Kimes, and the fact that they both had the Browns at the bottom of the league proves that the franchise has a low bar to clear. Cleveland won just eight games combined over the past two seasons, and betting lines have set its over-under at 5.5 wins for this season.
So, if the Browns were to surpass that modest total, it would be an improvement on the 5-12 record they posted in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s final season. Some insiders believe Cleveland will finish in that neighborhood again, while others are predicting many more victories than that, with at least one mentioning the AFC Championship Game as a possibility.
The Browns’ defense should be able to maintain its high standard even without Garrett, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Verse arrived as part of the return and should be able to replicate at least some of Garrett’s production playing alongside Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger and newcomer Quincy Williams.
So, Cleveland’s offense will hold the key to the season. Monken arrives with an excellent reputation after a long career as an assistant, and, as Perna mentioned, there are plenty of young skill-position players to work with. The pressure will be on a rebuilt offensive line and the starting quarterback to get the most from that potential.
It’s now less than two months until the Week 1 opener at the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the anticipation and speculation surrounding the Browns will continue to grow until then.
NEXT: Browns Poised To Make Big Contract Moves With 2 Key Veterans
