Bleacher Report released its full slate of division standings predictions for the upcoming season, and Cleveland found itself on the receiving end of one of the more pessimistic outlooks among any team in the league. Moe Moton projected the Browns to finish with a 3-14 record in 2026. The reasoning behind that projection leaned heavily on the ongoing quarterback uncertainty and the loss of Myles Garrett.
Moton laid out his reasoning for such a bleak record heading into the 2026 campaign.
“The Browns will be an interesting watch through the 2026 season. They won’t win a lot of games, though. Regardless of who wins the quarterback battle between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, the signal caller will need time to build a rapport with rookie receivers, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. The Browns traded edge rusher Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams, which is a significant blow to their pass rush and ability to win low scoring games,” Moton said.
Viewing the Garrett trade purely as a loss without acknowledging what Cleveland received in return tells only half the story. Jared Verse has spent his first several weeks in Cleveland drawing praise from teammates, coaches, and national analysts alike, with many predicting Verse could have a monster season of his own. Cleveland’s defense has also generated a historic pace of takeaways under new coordinator Mike Rutenberg, piling up interceptions at a rate defensive backs coach Brandon Lynch called the most he has seen in seven seasons with the organization.
Both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston have built reputations as legitimate difference makers rather than simply promising rookies still finding their footing. Whichever quarterback ultimately wins the starting job inherits a genuinely talented group of pass catchers.
Predictions released this far ahead of the regular season inevitably carry a fair amount of guesswork, particularly for a team still working through an unsettled quarterback competition and a coaching staff building continuity across a roster with plenty of new faces.
Browns fans have grown accustomed to national analysts underestimating this team, and with the preseason opener against Chicago now just days away, this roster will finally get its first real opportunity to start proving predictions like Moton’s wrong.
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