CLEVELAND — In just over a week, the Cleveland Browns will kick off the 2026 regular season when they travel to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars.
Like so many seasons before it, uncertainty surrounds the Browns.
A new head coach. Questions at quarterback. One of the NFL's youngest rosters. National analysts have largely written Cleveland off before the season has even begun.
I'm not so sure that's the right call.
No, I don't think the Browns are ready to challenge for a Super Bowl. But I do think they're closer than many people realize.
With that in mind, here are my three predictions for the 2026 Cleveland Browns.
1. The Browns Will Surprise People
Not every surprise team goes 13-4.
Sometimes surprising people simply means being far more competitive than expected. That's where I believe the Browns are headed.
Todd Monken inherits a roster that's considerably younger than the one Cleveland fielded a year ago, but it's also a roster that finally feels like it's building toward something instead of clinging to the past - the lone exception being the inexplicable decision to name Deshaun Watson as QB1.
There will absolutely be bumps along the way. Young players make mistakes. Young teams lose games they should win.
But young teams also improve rapidly, and I think we'll see that throughout the season.
By December, I expect people around the league to be talking less about the Browns' record and more about how quickly this roster is developing.
2. The Defense Will Keep Cleveland in Games
If the Browns are going to exceed expectations this season, it won't be because they're lighting up scoreboards. It'll be because the defense gives them a chance every Sunday.
Despite trading away Miles Garrett, Cleveland still has playmakers at every level of the defense. And just as was the case in years past, this unit will be the backbone of the team.
There will undoubtedly be afternoons where the offense struggles. Indeed it may struggle most Sundays. That's life with a young roster and questions at quarterback.
But good defenses travel, they keep games close and they allow young offenses time to grow. I believe Cleveland's defense will be the biggest reason this team remains competitive well into the season.
Bonus Prediction: The Browns finish among the NFL's Top 10 defenses in points allowed.
3. Cleveland Will Finally Have Something It Hasn't Had in Years—Hope
For Browns fans, the last several years have been exhausting. Too often the conversation has centered on what went wrong instead of what comes next.
This season feels different.
Not because Cleveland is suddenly a championship contender. But because there finally seems to be a direction.
Whether it's the development of the team's young players, Todd Monken establishing a new culture or the organization turning its attention toward the future instead of constantly revisiting the past, I believe Browns fans will finish this season feeling optimistic.
That doesn't guarantee a playoff berth. It doesn't even guarantee a winning record. Both of which are probably out of reach for this year's Browns squad.
But it does mean the Browns will enter 2027 believing they're building something worth believing in. That believe will grow in the second half of the year. The first half, expect the Browns to be well under .500, but expect them to play .500 football—or better—in the second half.
That outlook may not leave everyone feeling hopeful, but sometimes that's exactly where a franchise has to start.