The Cleveland Browns have not named a definitive starting quarterback yet for the upcoming season, so there is no official Week 1 starter right now.

Where things stand

  • GM Andrew Berry has openly said the team will continue to evaluate the quarterback market and that the starter could be either someone already on the roster or an external addition.
  • The next head coach is expected to have a major voice in choosing who starts at QB in 2026, which is one reason no starter has been declared.

Main candidates at QB

  • Shedeur Sanders
    • Finished the season as the starter, getting a seven‑game run and going 3–4 with 1,400 passing yards, 7 TDs, and 10 INTs, completing 56.6% of his passes.
* Berry has praised his progress and playmaking but still describes him as a work in progress who must “earn” the job if he is to be the starter.
  • Deshaun Watson
    • Remains under contract on a massive long‑term deal and is expected to be on the roster in 2026 after missing 2025 while rehabbing a right Achilles injury.
* Because of his contract structure, moving on from him is considered extremely difficult, which keeps him in the conversation even if his recent availability has been limited.
  • Dillon Gabriel
    • Started earlier in the year, going 1–5 while completing 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards with 7 TDs and 2 INTs before a concussion opened the door for Sanders.
* Remains under contract and could be part of a competition, but current reporting frames him more as depth or a secondary option than the favorite.

Could they add another QB?

  • Cleveland holds the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and also has an extra first‑rounder, and several reports note that the team could use that capital on a quarterback.
  • Local and national coverage repeatedly mention the possibility of drafting a new QB, which would further complicate the battle for the starting job.

So, who’s most likely?

  • If the season started today, Sanders looks like the leading in‑house candidate because he closed the year as the starter and showed enough promise to stay in the mix.
  • However, team leadership has been very clear that no one has locked up the job and that the final call will come after a new coach is hired and offseason moves are made, so the honest answer to “who will start at QB for the Browns?” is: it is still officially undecided.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.