The Cleveland Browns will face a somewhat easy schedule in 2026. Nevertheless, schedule makers didn't do them any favors in the first half of the campaign, with five road games in the first eight weeks, including two consecutive away games to start the season.
While the Browns will ultimately benefit from that with three consecutive home games in the second half, this is just a brutal challenge for a team with a new head coach and a new offense. Add the uncertainty at quarterback to the mix, and this is definitely something to keep a close eye on.
Moreover, it might also be a factor in the quarterback competition. As ESPN insider Daniel Oyefusi pointed out, whoever starts at quarterback for the Browns might get a long leash if he struggles on the road early on in the season:
"(Browns head coach Todd) Monken could be compelled to give that player a longer runway, given the litany of road games in the first half of the season and the acclimation period needed for a new offense," Oyefusi wrote.
The Browns may give their starting quarterback a longer leash than expected
As things stand now, Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders are leading the race to be QB1. For what it's worth, the schedule release video featured Sanders, not Watson, though the fans should take that with a grain of salt; it doesn't mean anything unless it comes from Coach Monken.
Dillon Gabriel is still on the roster, but he has barely been in the building this offseason and could face an uphill battle to make the roster. In his place, they could instead develop rookie sixth-round pick Taylen Green, though he may not be a realistic choice to start Week 1.
That leaves the Browns with a quarterback who last played nearly two years ago and is coming off an Achilles injury and a fifth-round youngster who only started seven games as a rookie. They both have to learn a new system, new terminology, and get a grasp of Monken's offense, all while building chemistry with new receivers and a reshaped offensive line.
The Browns are trending in the right direction and doing everything right to get back on track, but things take time. Turnarounds rarely happen overnight, and the Browns will just have to roll with whoever they feel puts them in a better position in the long term.
Of course, whoever wins the race will still be under a ton of pressure, and recent history has shown that being the Browns' starter in Week 1 doesn't mean you'll keep the job past Week 6. Regardless of the schedule, this will be a fluid situation.
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