NFL.com rolled out its annual bold predictions column for the 2026 season this week. Grant Gordon used his prediction to focus on quarterback movement around the league, and Cleveland found itself included in a group of teams Gordon expects to see notable change under center by the time the season wraps up. Rather than sticking with the current pecking order that has Deshaun Watson atop the depth chart, Gordon’s predicted that Taylen Green will ultimately become the Browns’ primary starter before the season is over.
“There’s bound to be some quarterback shuffling throughout the season, and there will be in 2026. By season’s end, Fernando Mendoza will take over as franchise QB for the Raiders, Cade Klubnik will be starting for the Jets, Taylen Green will be starting for the Browns, and undrafted free agent Jack Strand will be leading the Falcons,” Gordon wrote.
Green enters the season as the fourth quarterback on Cleveland’s roster behind Watson, Sanders and Gabriel, with Gabriel sidelined on injured reserve for the first 4 weeks of the season
For that scenario to play out, it would likely require Watson’s health or performance to falter at some point during the year, with neither Sanders nor Gabriel doing enough in relief to convince the coaching staff the answer is already on the roster ahead of Green.
Cleveland’s coaching staff has already shown some willingness to get creative with Green’s usage, with Todd Monken discussing plans to deploy him in wildcat packages and other specialty situations given his size and athleticism. Teammates have also pointed to his preparation habits, describing a rookie who studies the offense with unusual attention to detail for a player this far down the chart.
Still, the gap between where Green sits today and the starting role by season’s end is significant. Whether it happens will depend heavily on how the first half of the season unfolds for the 3 quarterbacks currently ahead of him, but Gordon’s prediction adds another voice to the growing list of people wondering what Green can do in the NFL.
NEXT: Mike Golic Jr. Reveals His One Concern About Browns' Defense
