The Cleveland Browns need a franchise quarterback, and they have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to potentially find one.
Unfortunately, what promised to be a strong quarterback class isn’t shaping up that way.
Most of the high-end college prospects have been disappointing this season, and unless the Browns get the No. 1 overall pick, they might not be able to land a true star.
With that in mind, analyst Ken Carman doubled down on his take that the Browns should make a run at Mac Jones.
“Why do I keep mentioning Mac Jones? I don’t think that you’re gonna be in a position to take any of the QBs who you might like at the top of the draft. So you need to think of the best options available to you. It might be a retread. He ain’t that great, but he ain’t that bad. You see what a guy can do when you don’t take your defensive coordinator and put him in charge of the offense, which is what happened in New England,” Carman said.
"Why do I keep mentioning Mac Jones? I don't think you're gonna be in a position to take a QB at the top of the draft. So you need to think of the best options available, and it might be a retread."@KenCarman thinks #Browns best option for a new QB might not come in the draft🏈 https://t.co/CGuttCDr7l pic.twitter.com/uPtjTXWUo1
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 21, 2025
Granted, Jones isn’t a highly athletic QB, and he reportedly had some attitude problems during his three seasons with the New England Patriots.
Then again, he’s a tough competitor, and he’s looked much better now that he’s playing for the San Francisco 49ers after a season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jones has done an outstanding job taking over in San Francisco with Brock Purdy injured, up to the point where the 49ers might be regretting signing Purdy to a big contract extension.
In five games, Jones has completed 67.0 percent of his passes for 1,404 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions, and the Niners have won four of those games.
He’s 27 years old, and multiple teams were high on him when he was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Jones has another year left on his contract with the 49ers, so even if the Browns wanted to draft someone for the future, he could be a solid stopgap for them in a potential trade.
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