Most Cleveland Browns fans aren’t expecting their team to make it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2026, but they want to see noticeable and noteworthy progress. The question is, just how much progress should be expected?
While appearing on ESPN Cleveland, Tony Grossi discussed this idea and predicted the Browns would be better than last season, but noted that the impact and influence of the team’s quarterback situation cannot be overstated.
Until their issues with their quarterbacks are addressed, people will worry about the team.
“I got fooled last year. I thought they were better than what people thought, at least at the beginning of the year. On paper, they should be better than what people think. Everything about this team, the external impression is based on the quarterback position,” Grossi said.
Are the Browns better or worse than people think after the draft? @TonyGrossi shares his thoughts… pic.twitter.com/xjrAH9R1UF
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 5, 2026
Grossi went into last season thinking that the Browns were going to be a step above what they accomplished in 2024. And while they did win more games, he will admit that the team wasn’t remotely close to where it needed to be.
He firmly believes that 2026 will not be a repeat of 2025, and there are multiple reasons for that. Andrew Berry has done a great job again in the draft, and it looks like he selected a few up-and-coming players who could be stars in a short amount of time.
On top of that, the trades and signings on the offensive line provide more experience and depth, which was a gigantic problem last year.
Plus, the team has undergone a massive coaching change, with new talent coming into the organization, from Todd Monken down. That should be reason to believe that the Browns will take a step forward, even if it isn’t a massive one.
But until the Browns have settled on their starting quarterback for the new season, or even identify their quarterback of the future, there will always be questions about how good they can be.
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