The Cleveland Browns aren’t exactly known for lucky twists of fate, but circumstances appear to be lining up for the much-maligned franchise heading into the 2026 campaign.
The NFL announced its strength of schedule rankings on Monday, May 11 ahead of the full schedule release on Thursday, and the Browns will play the weakest slate of any of the 32 teams in the league based on opponent win percentage in 2025.
Cleveland’s cumulative strength of schedule is .429 based on last year’s team records. The Chicago Bears, by contrast, face the toughest schedule with a collective mark of .550.
📺: NFL Schedule Release – Thursday at 8pm ET on ESPN/NFLN
The Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland’s AFC North rival, have the 30th-ranked strength of schedule at .450, while the Baltimore Ravens slot in at .479 (24th) and the Pittsburgh Steelers face the toughest schedule in the division at .495 (19th).
Browns Could Play Their Way Out of Shot at Texas QB Arch Manning
GettyTexas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
News of the Browns landing the weakest strength of schedule in 2026 comes closely on the heels of Cleveland executing perhaps the best draft in the league in late April.
It was the second consecutive season that general manager Andrew Berry and the rest of his front office cohort pieced together a top incoming rookie class. The Browns also used free agency and the trade market to meaningfully improve the offensive line, which was the biggest weakness on a roster full of holes in 2025.
All of the situational circumstances in Cleveland are adding up to a chance for the team to prove competitive in 2026. That would be great for a franchise that has made the playoffs just twice in the past 24 years, except for the fact that the Browns have a strong incentive to be bad for just one more season.
Draft experts are universally lauding the 2027 draft class as elite across multiple positions, though quarterback is reputed to be particularly strong. The group includes Arch Manning of Texas, who Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has desired as his team’s franchise QB for several years.
Deshaun Watson Among Favorites to Start at QB in Final Year of Browns Contract
GettyCleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
In that context, one could look at the team’s weak strength of schedule as an unfortunate development given what finishing with a bottom-five record in 2026 might mean for the future of a franchise that has done well to stack positions around the QB with young, inexpensive talent.
The one element that will swing the season, however, is also the single greatest unknown for Cleveland: what will the team get from the quarterback position this year?
Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson have emerged as the two favorites for the starting job, as Dillon Gabriel has fallen into the background. The team has avoided adding any new QBs in the draft or free agency, at least to this point.
Dan Graziano of ESPN discussed Watson and his candidacy on Tuesday.
“Watson is on the Browns right now because it wouldn’t make sense otherwise, and if they can get something useful out of him before this miserable chapter of their history comes to a end, great,” Graziano wrote. “Everyone is looking at the 2027 draft for quarterbacks, and I believe the Browns are one of the teams most interested in finding their long-term answer next April.”
Based on his last four seasons, Cleveland can probably count on Watson to be mediocre — at best. That could be enough to pull the Browns’ win total down despite their adding to what was the No. 4 ranked defense in the NFL last year and bolstering abysmal offensive line and wide receiver units to significant degrees this offseason.
NFL Announces Great News for Browns Heading Into Next Season