The Cleveland Browns’ fortunes this season are seen as tied almost solely to the success of their quarterback. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders would have to exceed very modest expectations by a large margin to get the team into playoff contention.
But there is another potential scenario that could take place instead. Even if the quarterback plays postseason-worthy football, he could be let down by an important group of teammates.
Insider Seth Walder of ESPN has revealed the Browns’ X-factor in 2026, identifying their offensive line as the potential key to the season.
“X factor for 2026: The remade offensive line. Four of the Browns’ five projected O-line starters weren’t in Cleveland last season, and the fifth — Teven Jenkins — started only four games. The Browns are betting that the entirely new group will jell quickly and protect whoever is playing quarterback. The group is a mix of profiles, from first-round rookie Spencer Fano to versatile veteran Elgton Jenkins to guard Zion Johnson, whose run block win rate took a big step up last season. The range of outcomes for this unit is wide,” Walder wrote.
This offseason, the Browns needed to replace all five of their most-used starters from 2025. Guard Joel Bitonio wound up retiring, and guard Wyatt Teller, center Ethan Pocic, and tackles Jack Conklin and Cam Robinson hit the market as free agents.
Cleveland started the rebuild by trading for Tytus Howard before signing Johnson and Elgton Jenkins as free agents. The Browns re-signed Teven Jenkins, then added Fano, Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford in the 2026 NFL Draft.
New head coach Todd Monken and veteran offensive line coach George Warhop intend to use a combination of the five best players as the starters. Heading into training camp, that looks to be Howard at right tackle with Fano on the left side, despite not playing there in his final two college seasons. Elgton Jenkins is at center, with Johnson and Teven Jenkins at guard, an interior alignment that could change if Brailsford can emerge as a viable starting center or returnee Dawand Jones can resurrect his career at guard.
The Browns would like to have this settled as soon as possible, which would allow those starters an opportunity to build the necessary chemistry with at least some snaps together in Cleveland’s three preseason games. It also would allow them to build a better relationship with whoever the starting quarterback turns out to be.
There is a chance that the offensive line will be good enough to power the offense no matter how well or poorly the QB plays, and the Browns’ season may depend on it.
NEXT: Analyst Pushes Back On Hype Around Deshaun Watson
