The NFL offseason is in full swing, which means everyone is wondering what the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback room will look like next season.
That’s, unfortunately, a situation the franchise has frequently found itself in. For 2026, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson seem like locks for the QB room, but people are curious to see who will be the third quarterback, and who will eventually emerge as Cleveland’s starter.
Prior to the start of this year’s free agency and legal tampering period, there was a ton of speculation about all of the veteran quarterbacks the Browns could go after. While it’s still early in the offseason, it’s becoming clear that Cleveland’s quarterback room won’t undergo much significant change.
While that was always the most realistic option, fans are watching that reality come true as veteran quarterbacks head to other teams.
Browns haven’t emerged as a serious suitor for any veteran quarterbacks
The veteran quarterback who was frequently listed as an option for Cleveland was former Green Bay Packer Malik Willis. Willis agreed to a three-year deal worth $67.5 million with the Miami Dolphins on Monday — a move that was clearly inevitable to anyone who wasn’t fooling themselves. He isn’t the only veteran who is already off the market, though.
Former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has agreed to join the Atlanta Falcons, Geno Smith was traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets, and the San Francisco 49ers’ asking price for Mac Jones is a price that no team is willing to pay. The biggest remaining domino is Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who’s expected to be released on Wednesday. Murray has already been connected to teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts, so the Browns might as well remove him as an option as well.
That leaves Cleveland with a group of quarterbacks that includes players like Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz, and Anthony Richardson as a trade option. It’s safe to say it wouldn’t make much sense to go after any of those guys. That means the only real way the Browns can make a significant change to the quarterback room is in the draft, and unless the team absolutely falls in love with a prospect like Ty Simpson, the franchise probably won’t be selecting a QB that it prioritizes.
So barring an unexpected development, the Browns quarterback situation entering 2026 will be what has been in front of everyone’s eyes all along: a quarterback competition between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.