The Cleveland Browns will finally kick off the Todd Monken era after a transformative offseason in their 2026 NFL preseason opener against the Chicago Bears. With Myles Garrett in Los Angeles and a youth movement underway, Cleveland is going through a very unique time in this fan base's memory.
The Browns are going to unleash a young team that has been supplemented by multiple years of well-received NFL Draft classes. As such, Browns fans who will be spending most of the 2026 season looking toward the future could get a glimpse of what this team could look like when these projects are fully developed.
As the Browns gear up for this tuneup at Chicago, fans need to keep their eyes firmly fixed on these four players. The quarterback battle is going to garner the most attention (and deservedly so), but with Cleveland hosting open competitions at multiple positions, some big depth chart moves could be made in this game.
4 Cleveland Browns players worth watching in preseason opener vs. Bears
RB Dylan Sampson
Quinshon Judkins is the starter, but Sampson's speed is going to make him a weapon as a pass-catching change-of-pace back. Sampson getting off to a strong start ahead of his second season could impact just how heavy of a workload Judkins is scheduled to have in his return from a serious injury.
LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
As a 5-foot-11 undrafted free agent linebacker from 2025, you have to have made quite the first impression on a coaching staff to be listed as a starting linebacker in the base 4-3 defense ahead of the 2026 campaign. Mascarenas-Arnold could solidify that belief in him by dominating in the preseason.
WR KC Concepcion
Second-round rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston has received so much training camp hype that it can be easy to forget that Concepcion was actually the one picked before him. With his blend of speed underneath and playmaking with the ball in his hands, Concepcion may be the one more ready for immediate NFL targets.
QB Shedeur Sanders
Sanders is in the middle of a quarterback competition with Deshaun Watson, all while Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green wait in the wings. Sanders could put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack if he comes out firing, particularly if he improves on his poor pocket presence from last year.
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