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Browns get bold prediction on QB competiton.
The Cleveland Browns don’t have a clear starting quarterback entering 2026, as it will be an open competition.
Cleveland has Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel all under contract for next season, and all three will compete for the starting job. However, it does appear to be a two-horse race between Watson and Sanders.
Yet, NFL analyst Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted all three quarterbacks will start games for Cleveland in 2026.
“All three of the current quarterbacks make starts in 2026, but the Browns are in a similar predicament next spring, as nobody really emerges,” Gagnon wrote.
The Browns starting all three quarterbacks at some point next season wouldn’t be great, as it likely means either injuries happened, or none played well enough to keep the job.
Yet, if all three start games, it likely does mean that Cleveland will for sure be going after a quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft to be their franchise quarterback.
But, for now, after not adding a quarterback in the first wave of free agency, the three quarterbacks on the roster will likely be the Browns’ three quarterbacks in 2026.
Browns Having Open QB Competition
Cleveland hired Todd Monken as their new head coach, and he wouldn’t name a starting quarterback.
Instead, Monken said all three will get opportunities to be the starter as it will be an open competiton.
“Sure, I think it’s an open competition,” Monken said. “I mean, I don’t why it wouldn’t be an open competition. I don’t mean that saying it harshly, but I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple years one way or the other to say, boy, we have our starter at quarterback yet. Whether internally or externally.”
Monken, meanwhile, also said he’s excited about the Browns quarterback room, but is keeping the options open to add others.
“I’m excited about Shedeur, excited about Deshaun and Dillon,” Monken said. “I’m excited about the prospects, not only in free agency but also in the draft and we’ll see where it all falls. Ultimately you’ve got to do whatever you need to do, especially at that position, to put yourself in position to score points.”
Although Monken isn’t sure who will be the starter, he hopes he knows the starter fairly early in camp so they can get the most amount of reps to be ready for Week 1.
Andrew Berry Keeping QB Options Open
Despite Monken saying he likes all three quarterbacks on the roster, Browns general manager Andrew Berry is open to adding to the position.
Berry said entering the offseason that the team will remain in the quarterback market, in free agency, trades, and the draft.
“I think there’s always the possibility,” Berry said. “But we have a long way to go before we get to that point. So, we expect to have a competitive room, like that’s going to be important to us, but what that looks like, I can’t exactly define that as we sit here today.”
For now, it does appear that Sanders, Watson, and Gabriel will be the Browns’ three quarterbacks.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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