Browns GM Andrew Berry reveals QB plan ahead of 2026 NFL season
As the Cleveland Browns continue to navigate their way through the 2026 NFL offseason, the quarterback position remains the top question surrounding the struggling franchise heading into next season.
General manager Andrew Berry did not make any moves throughout the 2026 NFL Free Agency period to improve the quarterback room , leaving veteran Deshaun Watson and rising second-year playmaker Shedeur Sanders as the top two candidates for the starting position. However, Berry did offer some clarity to the situation last week during his latest press conference.
When asked about the quarterback competition between Watson and Sanders, Berry told reporters on Sunday that he believes “everyone in that room deserves an opportunity.”
"Nobody has touched the grass, nobody has really worked with our coaching staff,” Berry stated. “I wouldn't handicap it for anyone. I think everyone in that room deserves [an] opportunity."
Browns' QB Battle Ahead of 2026 NFL Season
After sustaining a season-ending Achilles' tear during the 2024 NFL season, Watson spent all of last season rehabbing his injury to prepare for a potential comeback in 2026. The 30-year-old veteran has plenty of unfinished business, as he threw for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions in his last six starts with the Browns.
However, with the emergance of Sanders towards the end of the 2025 regular season, the former 2025 fifth-round pick will look to take a huge step heading into his second season with the franchise. Sanders managed to show some flashes last season, but it’s clear that the young playmaker must continue to grow as a quarterback in order to win the starting job.
Berry would also go on to discuss the possibility of adding another quarterback into the room, stating that if the Browns were to add another quarterback, it would most likely be a younger player.
"Our lean would be if we do add someone to the quarterback room, it would be someone who's a younger player, most likely," Berry said.
In addition to claiming that it would most likely be a younger player if the front office adds another quarterback to the room, Berry also stated that it is “wholly realistic” that a young quarterback could compete for the starting job.
While Cleveland is out of range to take Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza in the 2026 NFL Draft , there are still plenty of quarterbacks in the later rounds of the upcoming draft that Berry could take a gamble on this offseason. Two names that would make sense for the Browns are Penn State’s Drew Allar and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik , as both players will likely be available on Day Two or Day Three of the draft.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns GM Andrew Berry reveals QB plan ahead of 2026 NFL season
