The Cleveland Browns open the 2026 NFL season on Sunday when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It is a big day for the Browns as it will be the first time defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg is calling the shots on defense, the first time Todd Monken will work an NFL sideline as a head coach, and the first time quarterback Deshaun Watson will start a game since October of 2024. (How long he remains in that role is very much to be determined.)
Cleveland comes in with a completely rebuilt offensive
line, two shiny new rookies in wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, and defensive end Jared Verse taking over for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
Expectations and hope are not high for the Browns, especially with the club starting the season with consecutive road games. But Cleveland has won three in a row against the Jaguars, including the past two times they were the road team, so Sunday may go better than expected.
It is the Browns and Jaguars to open the season, and here is everything you need to know about the game.
Game Info
Records: Cleveland is 0-0. Jacksonville is 0-0.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Stadium: EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Tom McCarthy, Robert Turbin and Tiffany Blackmon (sideline reporter)
Radio: 850 ESPN Cleveland, 92.3 The Fan WKRK, 98.5 WNCX, 1300 AM La Mega (Español)
Announcers: Andrew Siciliano, Nathan Zegura, and Je’Rod Cherry (sidelines)
Last meeting: The Browns won the last meeting, 18-13, in Week 2 of the 2024 season.
First meeting: The Jaguars won the first meeting, 23-15, on October 22, 1995.
All-time series: The Jaguars lead the all-time series, 12-8. The Browns have won five of the last seven meetings in Jacksonville.
Weather: 89 degrees and mostly cloudy, with a 7 percent chance of rain. Wind from the Northwest at 5 mph. (weather.com)
Uniform: The Browns will be wearing their white jersey and white pants combo, which is a little bit of a surprise given the weather forecast. Usually, warm-weather teams like the opponents to wear dark jerseys on a hot day.
Injury report: Browns – Out: Offensive guard Teven Jenkins (back). Questionable: Center Parker Brailsford (thumb). Jaguars – Questionable: Running back Lequint Allen Jr. (hip).
The line: Browns +8.5, with an Over/Under of 40.5 points, per FanDuel.
News & Notes
- Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence had the second-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in 2025 with nine.
- Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson has been on the winning side in all seven of his career starts against the Jaguars.
- Lawrence has only been on the winning side in 33 percent of the September games he has started in his NFL career.
- Watson has posted a QBR of 33.1 since joining the Browns, which would be the bottom of the rankings if he qualified, according to ESPN.
- Jacksonville had the league’s best run defense in 2025.
- Cleveland will be just the fourth team since 1970 to start the season with five starters on the offensive line who were not on the roster the prior season, according to The Beacon Journal.
- Jacksonville has also shuffled its offensive line as rookie Emmanuel Pregnon is starting at left guard, Anton Harrison is moving from right tackle to left tackle, Ezra Cleveland is moving from left guard to right guard, and right tackle Cole Van Lanen will reportedly be a game-day decision with a knee injury.
- The Browns have not allowed a 300-yard passer for 45 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the league.
- Todd Monken is looking to be the first full-time head coach to win his debut game with Cleveland since Bud Carson in 1989.
In Case You Missed It
- With Austin Barber starting, 8 Browns starters from ’25, ‘26 drafts
- Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Week 1 Predictions – Jared Verse with an opportunity to steal the spotlight
- 5 quick hitters with Big Cat Country: Is Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence better than his 0-2 record vs. Cleveland indicates?
- 3 keys for the Browns to defeat the Jaguars in Week 1
- Browns vs Jags Week 1: What fans should watch for
- Browns vs Jaguars Week 1: Key matchups
- Browns: Can HC Todd Monken break this unbelievable streak in Week 1?
- 5 Questions with Dawgs By Nature: Containing KC Concepcion is Priority No. 1 (Big Cat Country)
A Final Quote
Head coach Todd Monken on keeping halftime adjustments in perspective:
“Well, to say that the halftime adjustments would mean more than in-between-series adjustments would seem weird, right? They’re series to series. Our game is different from, say, basketball. Unless there’s a timeout, it’s constant flow, where we have plays and then one side of the ball is on the field, whereas in basketball they play offense and defense; there’s almost no stoppage. Whereas here, there’s stoppage.
“But what is halftime, 13 minutes, for God’s sake? It’s like 13 minutes. By the time you run in there and you’re out of breath, and you get a few thoughts, you run back out, and you talk to some reporter, and you’re like, ‘holy shit, here we go again.’
“Really, the most time you have is in between series; that’s where you have the most time to really think through what we want to get to. Sometimes that break helps you; sometimes, like, ‘thank God halftime came, we needed just a reset.’ OK, let’s take the field again and get after it. But again, I wouldn’t say it’s overrated. What I would say is that every series, every moment in between series, because you’re really not talking in between plays, but once the series ends, ‘OK, what do we want to get to, offensively or defensively?’ Where are we at, talking to your guys, that’s as important as anything.”
What are you looking for from the Browns in Sunday’s season opener against the Jaguars?
