The Cleveland Browns enter the 2026 season with a quarterback room that looks more like a laboratory than a settled unit. After a year that saw the team rank 31st in passing yards, the organization is weighing three distinct options for the opening day snap. Each candidate brings a different profile, and the coaching staff’s decision will ripple through both the offense and the fantasy landscape.
A Closer Look at the Contenders
Deshaun Watson arrived in Cleveland with a résumé that included three stellar seasons in Houston, a 68.7% completion rate and an 8.3‑yard average per attempt. Those numbers, however, have eroded since his move to the Midwest. A shoulder surgery in 2023 was followed by a torn Achilles in 2024, sidelining him for the remainder of that campaign and casting doubt on his durability.
Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, rode a wave of college success at Jackson State, where he amassed 6,963 passing yards and 70 touchdowns. A breakout 2024 campaign featured a 74.0% completion rate and 37 scores, propelling him to a 36th‑overall ranking in the National Fantasy Football Championship. His rookie introduction to the NFL was modest, but the upside remains tangible.
Dillon Gabriel offers a blend of experience and mobility that the Browns find attractive. Six seasons of college play produced a 46‑17 record and a 30‑touchdown senior year, earning him multiple Big Ten honors. In his first professional season he posted a 59.5% completion rate and 5.1 yards per attempt, numbers that have kept him third on the depth chart behind a newly drafted Taylen Green.
Fantasy analysts have already placed Sanders ahead of Watson in projected upside, a reflection of the younger quarterback’s higher ceiling and the Browns’ willingness to develop a long‑term piece. Gabriel’s mixed pro debut and the presence of Green add further layers of uncertainty, making the position one of the most watched storylines in the upcoming season.