After finishing the season 5-12, the 2025 Cleveland Browns struggled to find an identity. With three different quarterbacks starting over the course of the season and inconsistent offensive play throughout, the team often appeared to lack a clear direction. The team had reached a point where meaningful changes were necessary to shake things up.
Going into the 2026 season, one of the biggest changes the team made was bringing in new head coach Todd Monken. Regardless of who returns to the field, the team will
have a different look under its new leadership. While there is still uncertainty at quarterback, Shedeur Sanders is returning with a year of experience under his belt, and Deshaun Watson is returning from injury.
Cleveland GM Andrew Berry also invested heavily in the offensive line all offseason, while long standing veterans Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, and David Njoku are no longer on the team.
The young players like Carson Schwesinger and Harold Fannin Jr., who had really impressive rookie seasons, have a great opportunity to build on what they did in 2025. Additionally, the Browns’ 2026 draft class impressed many and brings another level of potential to what this team can be.
Both seasons come with plenty of uncertainty, but the 2026 roster has a clearer vision and more upside, while the 2025 team seemed stuck repeating an approach that had already proven ineffective.
Let me know what you think in the comments – What is the biggest difference between the 2026 and 2025 Browns?
