BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry on Monday was noncommittal on the team's starting quarterback for the 2026 season, saying the organization will look at options this offseason and the new head coach will have a say in the decision.
"We're going to do our work on the quarterback market," Berry said. "It's too important of a position, and it's something that has to be solidified. I can't sit here and tell you today whether the starter in 2026 is internal or external, but it's something that we're going to work through over the next several weeks, and quite honestly, the new head coach will also have a lot of input into that as well."
Cleveland on Monday morning announced it had fired Kevin Stefanski after six seasons as head coach. Owner Jimmy Haslam said that Berry, who arrived in Cleveland alongside Stefanski in 2020, would not only be retained as GM but also lead the search for the franchise's 11th full-time head coach since returning to the NFL in 1999.
Berry said he also anticipates quarterback Deshaun Watson, who did not play in the 2025 season as he rehabbed an Achilles tear he sustained in the 2024 season, will be on the roster in 2026.
The Browns started 13 different quarterbacks under Stefanski, including seven in the last two seasons. Shedeur Sanders, the 144th overall pick in the 2025 draft, started the final seven games of the season and went 3-4 as a starter, including victories in the final two games of the season. In eight games (Sanders made his debut in the second half of the Browns' Week 11 loss to the Baltimore Ravens), Sanders completed 56.6% of his passes (120-of-212) for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Sanders also ran for 169 yards and one touchdown. He finished his rookie season with a 19.0 Total QBR, the fifth-lowest mark among 696 quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts in a season in the QBR era (since 2006).
"I think we saw a lot of progress with Shedeur this year," Berry said. "I think that's both mentally and physically playing the position. He's still very much a work in progress, like many rookie quarterbacks are. But I think we saw some really good things in terms of his playmaking, his accuracy, his ability to extend with his feet. And I think I'd also give him credit, as well as our offensive staff, for bringing him along in terms of his pocket management, his situational awareness and things of that nature."
Sanders said he would take some time to be with his family before beginning offseason training. When asked if he thought he showed enough to be the starter in 2026, Sanders said, "It's not in my hands, it's not my decision."
"I feel like this was a good learning year for me," Sanders said, "and I'm excited for it because, like I say, moving forward, I'll be prepared. I'll have actual, realistic reps versus other players on other teams and everything. So, I'm excited for this offseason, knowing and understanding what to expect and what I'ma get.
Watson was sidelined after tearing his Achilles in October 2024 and then undergoing a second surgery after he re-tore his Achilles in January 2025. The 30-year-old Watson has one year remaining on the five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million deal he signed in March 2022 upon being traded from the Houston Texans. Suspension and injuries have limited Watson to just 19 games as a member of the Browns. He has a 33.1 Total QBR since joining Cleveland, a figure that would rank last in the league (tied with Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward) among qualifying quarterbacks for this season.
"We're very pleased with how Deshaun went through and attacked his rehab this past year, how he engaged with the team, what he did in the meeting rooms," Berry said. "Very pleased with the progress that he made in that regard. I can never predict the future, but right now we do anticipate him being on the 2026 team. But we have a long way to go before we get to that point with any player."
Dillon Gabriel, the No. 94 overall pick who started six consecutive games before a Week 11 concussion opened the door for Sanders to make his debut, is also under contract for the 2026 season. Gabriel went 1-5 as a starter, completing 59.5% of his passes for 937 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Joe Flacco started the first four games of the season but was benched and then traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.
While the Browns will look for additions at quarterback, Berry said the entire offseason will focus on rebuilding a young offense that ranked 31st in scoring (16.4 points per game). The Browns hold the sixth pick in the 2026 draft and have a second first-round pick, via the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"I think there's a lot of work that we still need to do on the offense, from a personnel standpoint," Berry said. "I think that we have a number of players that will continue to be pillars and are players that will continue to develop and invest in, but the offense is going to have significant investment this offseason."
