Stop me if you've heard this one before: the Browns' quarterback situation is far from ideal. I know, I know. It's been a recurring theme since 1999, one so prevalent that we've decided to take an eight-chapter deep dive into the history behind it this summer in an effort to make sense of it all. In any case, Cleveland just received its latest stamp of approval for refusing to let desperation win the 2026 NFL Draft — from a highly-regarded source, no less.
Armed with the No. 6 overall pick, the Cleveland Browns were widely linked to Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. It seems that in every top-heavy class for signal-callers, the draft media machine (sorry, Dan Orlovsky) makes it their priority to prop up a No. 2 guy. This year, that was Ty Simpson. Last year it was Shedeur Sanders, so we'll call the results... scattered.
Cleveland was nevertheless under a lot of pressure to make that pick. Simpson has familial ties to Browns head coach Todd Monken and was a one-time recruiting target of his. None of that is material to his play on the field, which evaluators were naturally split on. On one hand, he's a gritty QB with solid physical tools in the important areas. On the other, he doesn't seem to possess a so-called superpower in any one area.
Former NFL executive and general manager Scot McCloughan thinks Ty Simpson will be a career backup
To the delight of many fans, sanity prevailed and the Browns opted for a more conventional pick in hopeful left-tackle-of-the-future Spencer Fano. Former San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders general manager Scot McCloughan delivered the scorching take that backs up Cleveland's gumption in standing their ground.
“I think [Ty Simpson] is overdrafted. It’s the position alone, you know. I think, not being a guru, but he’s like J.J. McCarthy. He’s like Mac Jones. He’s a career backup. Ideally, he might start, but that’s because of where his pick was and they want to prove everybody right, you know, type of thing. And that’s not the way you should build a roster. Not at all.”
Somehow, the Los Angeles Rams didn't get the memo and still opted for the Crimson Tide QB at pick No. 13. Only time will tell if they were right to take the plunge. As it relates to the Browns, however, it provides an additional layer of relief in not succumbing to media pressure surrounding a prospect they lacked conviction in.
For a quarterback to succeed in the NFL, the commitment must be top-down. Countless quarterbacks have failed not because of their own abilities, but because their organization failed them. When the time comes for the Browns to draft their quarterback of the future — if it doesn't wind up being Shedeur Sanders, whom I'm not counting out quite yet — it needs to be an all-in decision from the owner all the way down.
Once you have division in the ranks, the foundation is rotten. It will fail, and it's only a matter of time until fans see it unfold on their televisions. Luckily the Browns appear to be on track to right past wrongs and doing things the correct way for a sustainable future. Avoiding the Ty Simpson pothole very well may have been step one.
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