The Browns’ quarterback situation could go in a variety of directions this offseason. The establishment would see Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson compete for the starting gig, but an outdoor addition will probably be explored.
March will see the free agent and trade markets take shape, and Cleveland will do homework on the highest options set to be available. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com specifically names Malik Willis as a passer on the Browns’ radar at this point. That makes Cleveland one among many potential suitors in his case.
Willis is widely seen as the highest quarterback heading in the right direction without cost agency. A Packers departure is predicted, because the open market is ready to present him with a starting opportunity. Cleveland had already been named as a team to observe on the Willis front, with the identical also being true of Pittsburgh and Miami. The Dolphins specifically have Willis connections in the shape of latest general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head Jeff Hafley. The 26-year-old may be pursued by the Cardinals, provided they move on from Kyler Murray.
As Cabot notes, any veteran addition made by the Browns this offseason won’t be a short-term rental but somewhat a passer viewed as having starting potential beyond 2026. That might actually be the case for Willis if his market reaches expected levels, despite the very fact he has only made six starts within the regular season. Cleveland’s financial situation will once more be impacted by Watson’s heavy cap charge, so it might be difficult for the team to win a bidding war.
That leaves the draft as one other path to landing a brand new QB. On that note, Cabot writes Ty Simpson is among the many prospects receiving attention within the Browns’ case. The Alabama product is seen because the second-best passer on this yr’s class, owing largely to Dante Moore‘s decision to stay at school for 2026. Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is heading in the right direction to be drafted first overall by the Raiders, but Simpson’s landing spot is far more difficult to project at this point.
Having only made 15 starts in college, Simpson is viewed as having notable upside but will carry risk based on his short track record. The 23-year-old’s 2025 season also didn’t finish nearly in addition to it began, something which could hinder his stock. Nevertheless, the Browns – who own two first-round selections together with one in each of the second and third rounds – can have ample opportunity to make one other QB investment in April.