The NFL schedule for the 2026 season will not be officially released until Thursday night, but there are some details leaking out in the days leading up to that. Some are already confirmed, with the league announcing that the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys will meet in the Week 1 Sunday Night Football game.
Others require a bit more detective work and speculation, and that is where the Cleveland Browns come in. With one of the best players in the league in defensive end Myles Garrett, Cleveland could be an attractive choice for its marquee games this season.
Analyst Aaron Goldhammer said he believes the Browns will have at least one prime-time game this season, thanks to the presence of Garrett.
“I think they are going to have a prime-time game, and I’ll give you the reason why. They put a graphic together for the schedule release that had four players featured: [Jaxon Smith-Njigba], Josh Allen, and Myles Garrett was one of the guys on the graphic. I think Myles Garrett is one of the more marketable players in the NFL. Because of that, I think you’ll get at least one prime-time game,” Goldhammer said.
How many primetime games do you think the Browns will have in 2026? pic.twitter.com/g5cmIUF2MS
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 12, 2026
Insider Tony Grossi took it one step further, saying the Browns would be an even more popular choice if the league knew for sure that Shedeur Sanders would be their quarterback instead of Deshaun Watson. Unfortunately, that starter will not be official until their open competition for the starting job is decided by head coach Todd Monken.
“I think what’s holding it back is, ‘Who’s playing quarterback for the Browns?’ If it’s Shedeur, you might get more than one. If it’s Deshaun Watson, they might say, ‘Uhhhh,'” Grossi said.
There are plenty of intriguing options for the Browns to fill any of the NFL’s multiple prime-time openings, be it on Thursday Night Football on Amazon, Sunday Night Football on NBC, or Monday Night Football on ESPN. It is unknown if there will be any others in addition to those weekly regulars.
Within the division, a matchup against the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens would bring the additional intrigue of Monken coaching against the team where he was the offensive coordinator for the past three seasons. A game against the nearby Pittsburgh Steelers would also be intriguing.
The Browns are also set to face the Atlanta Falcons, who are now coached by Kevin Stefanski, who was fired as Cleveland’s head coach after last season. An even more contentious plot line could come from a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where former Browns’ No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield is the quarterback.
Cleveland could be seen as a team on the rise, and could it enhance that reputation with a good performance in any stand-alone game this season.
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