Browns Eye 2027 QB Reset After ESPN Predicts Watson-Led Slide

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 21

ESPN projects Cleveland to open with Deshaun Watson, lose heavily and turn to Shedeur Sanders during the 2026 season, yet still enter 2027 needing another quarterback.
Dan Graziano said the Browns could finish near the bottom of the NFL and, with 2 first-round picks, target one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 draft.
Even ESPN's best-case path stays bleak: Watson struggles early, Sanders sparks playoff contention, and Cleveland still reaches the 2027 offseason unsure whether he is a long-term answer.
The forecast lands on a franchise still defined by the Watson deal, which cost 3 first-round picks and ended with a fully guaranteed 5-year, $230 million contract.