Cleveland Browns
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Browns linked to Kirk Cousins as intriguing QB option.
The Cleveland Browns have been searching to find their franchise quarterback and could look to bring in a veteran option.
Cleveland has Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, and Dillon Gabriel all under contract for next season, but the Browns have been linked to making some quarterback moves. Although the team hasn’t made a move for a quarterback, NFL analyst Jacob Camenker of USA Today linked the Browns to Kirk Cousins.
“The Browns are another AFC North team that would be a sensible option for Cousins,” Camenker wrote. “Cleveland has a lot of resources tied up in Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, but Cousins has more experience than Sanders and Gabriel and has enjoyed far more sustained success than Watson. That could be enough to convince new Browns coach Todd Monken to make his wide-open quarterback competition a three-way battle.”
Cousins would add some more competition at quarterback, but whether or not the Browns would actually be interested in him is uncertain. However, he likely wouldn’t be too expensive as he was released from his four-year, $180 million deal.
Cousins could come in and compete for the Browns’ starting job and also serve as a veteran mentor for Sanders. Yet, Cousins will likely look for a spot where he can be the bona fide starting quarterback.
Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowler.
Browns Having Open QB Competition
Cleveland’s quarterback battle is likely to be between Sanders and Watson, as Gabriel is unlikely to factor into the decision.
However, the Browns still could add another quarterback ahead of the season, whether that’s in the draft or free agency. Yet, ahead of the season, Browns head coach Todd Monken said the team will have an open competition at quarterback.
“Sure, I think it’s an open competition,” Monken said at the combine. “I don’t know why it wouldn’t be an open competition, and I don’t mean to say that harshly. But I don’t think there’s enough on film over the last couple of years one way or the other to say, ‘Boy, we have a starter at quarterback.’”
Although Monken said the team will have an open competition, he did praise Sanders.
“I think what you see is elite playmaking ability,” Monken said. “That’s in him. You’ve seen it, we’ve seen it, you saw it in college, you saw it on tape last year. Sure there’s a ways to go, but what rookie isn’t? What first-year player doesn’t have a long way to go? I’m excited to get started with him and all of our quarterbacks and all of our players.”
So, it does appear Sanders has the inside track to being the Browns quarterback again in 2026, should the team not add another quarterback.
Cleveland Open to Adding a QB
Although the Browns have three quarterbacks on the roster, the team still could make another move.
Ahead of free agency beginning, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said the team is open to adding a quarterback.
“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.”
Yet, after the first wave of free agency, the Browns didn’t make any moves to acquire a quarterback.