The talk of preseason Week 1 is the QB Browns fans begged the team not to draft

The first full week of NFL preseason games brought all-too-familiar vibes for fans of the Cleveland Browns. While the much anticipated young talent on the roster popped at times during their 34-10 loss to the Chicago Bears, the Browns’ quarterbacks performed exactly how that final score would indicate.

The debate over who should start for Cleveland in the regular season rages on, with head coach Todd Monken telling reporters during a virtual press conference Sunday that Shedeur Sanders deserves the right to start preseason Game 2, which will be home against the Buffalo Bills, before a final decision is made.

The harsh reality is that neither Sanders nor presumed starter Deshaun Watson has been able to make that decision for Monken. The big talking point after the Bears game was whether Watson’s play actually matched his strong stat line — it didn’t, at least not after substitutions were made along the offensive line in the first half — and how to properly evaluate Sanders after he threw a bad interception, had multiple attempts batted down at the line of scrimmage, and had to abort one play after a failed under-center exchange.

It wasn’t pretty, and while the Browns’ quarterback situation continues to be a league-wide punchline, the talk of preseason Week 1 has been Los Angeles Rams rookie Ty Simpson, the Alabama product many Browns fans wanted no part of entering the 2026 NFL Draft.

It was one preseason appearance against whoever Kansas City had on the field, but Simpson was impressive. He completed 21 of his 25 pass attempts for 190 yards, two passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also wasn’t sacked.

Ty Simpson's impressive debut only adds another layer to Cleveland's quarterback dilemma

If Cleveland could redo its 2026 draft, it would probably still end up with left tackle Spencer Fano, wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with its first four picks. Every player in that group has been progressing nicely throughout the spring and summer, and both Fano and Concepcion more than looked the part of premium prospects against the Bears.

It all comes back to the long-range vision for general manager Andrew Berry. The decision to make zero additions of any significance to the quarterback room this year is the main reason everyone keeps talking about the 2027 draft, still a month out from the 2026 regular season opener.

Browns fans balked at the idea of using a first-round pick on Simpson, but after the team passed on adding a veteran, like Malik Willis or Mac Jones, it became a worthwhile talking point. Monken had a connection to Simpson’s family tracing back to his days as head coach at Southern Miss. Simpson’s ability to use his feet to his advantage and make plays off-script is a trait Monken covets in his quarterback room.

Simpson flashed those traits in his debut, showing a knack for keeping his feet moving with his eyes down the field. He didn’t exactly torch the Chiefs deep — his 4.7 air yards per attempt was the lowest of any rookie quarterback during Week 1 of the preseason — but he was accurate on the move. It’s not surprising that Berry admitted internal interest in Simpson during his pre- and post-draft press conferences. 

Cleveland has no choice but to trust its process. The team punted on quarterback this year, and that decision was made well before the 2026 draft. The Browns probably wouldn't have seriously considered drafting Simpson unless he slipped to the second round.

But the Browns also made their bed at quarterback, and they're going to have to live in it for at least another season. Whether Watson really outperformed Sanders against the Bears is debatable. Whether Simpson looked better than any quarterback on the Browns’ roster in Week 1 of the preseason? Not so much. The circumstances are different, but the national perception remains the same when it comes to the Browns.

All of this will be moot if Cleveland’s rookie quarterback to be named in 2027 has a similar debut next summer. The hard part right now is watching this current situation play out and believing that a Browns quarterback will be the talk of the league at this time a year from now.

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