Three Cleveland Browns Storylines to Watch in Week Two of the 2026 NFL Preseason
We’re only in Week Two of the 2026 NFL Preseason, and there’s a boatload of things to unpack for the Cleveland Browns. The quarterback competition between veteran Deshaun Watson and second-year gunslinger Shedeur Sanders is still raging on, and it continues to dominate headlines both local and national. Watson played the entirety of the first half against the Chicago Bears and left the game heading into halftime, with the score tied at 10 apiece. However, when Sanders checked in, the offense immediately lost all momentum, and he threw an embarrassing interception that had fans on social media churning out plenty of memes. Former Oregon Duck Dillon Gabriel checked in late in the third quarter, and he, too, looked abysmal with poor throwing errors. Despite all of that, the offense had moments of promise, especially in the first half, with rookie KC Concepcion’s ability to move with the ball, in pass concepts, and end-around runs. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are currently in Berea for joint practices with the Browns, and here are a few storylines to keep in mind heading into Todd Monken’s second preseason match on Saturday.
Why Are Defensive Line Veterans Snubbing Cleveland?
Outside of Jared Verse, acquired in the Myles Garrett trade, the Browns' defensive line is lacking in depth. Mason Graham, Alex Wright, and Michael Hall round out the unit, but other than that, Cleveland is looking for depth at the position. However, the push to acquire more talent to build around Verse has been challenging for Andrew Berry. After holding workouts for two former Browns, Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith, both of the longtime defenders passed on Cleveland to sign with the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons, respectively.
At first glance, the moves make sense. Clowney gets to rejoin the team that drafted him first overall back in 2014, and Smith gets to reunite with his old head coach when he played in Cleveland, Kevin Stefanski. What makes it interesting for Browns fans is why two veterans passed on the opportunity to play in Cleveland, where they would have bigger roles than in Houston or Atlanta, whilst also passing on the chance to mentor young players like Graham or Wright. They also passed on playing on the opposite side of Verse. Wouldn’t it make sense to play in Cleveland, where all the attention is on one player, and you get to rack up sacks? Beyond that, the moves by Clowney and Smith to pass on Cleveland raise a greater question: Is something going on that we do not know about? Are the Browns destined for another terrible season, and are aging veterans afraid a move to Northeast Ohio would waste their time? The answers to those questions can only be realized in the regular season, but for now, it’s intriguing to see how the Browns got passed up by not one, but two former players who would’ve made a decent impact.
Cleveland’s Young Playmakers Are Getting Noticed by the National Media
Switching over to the positive side of Saturday’s game, the play of Concepcion and Denzel Boston was an amazing sight to see for Berry and the Browns. Not only that, the two rookies have garnered so much league-wide hype that the general view of Cleveland went from “another year, another last-place finish” to “they’re a quarterback away” overnight. It was ESPN’s Mina Kimes who first came out and said she thinks the Browns are more talented than what meets the eye, followed by former NFL linebacker and commentator Booger McFarland calling Cleveland a potential “surprise team” in the AFC. For Cleveland fans and those close to the situation, this is nothing new.
The former Texas A&M Aggie and Washington Huskie were both highly touted receiver prospects heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, and Berry got them with relatively low picks for two incredibly talented players. Concepcion’s ability to hit the gas engine and get moving even drew comparisons to Steve Smith and Zay Flowers, and if Boston makes a huge play against the Bills, don’t be surprised if people start calling him the next Puka Nacua. Of course, Kimes is chiefly right about one thing, and it’s huge: quarterback is still a major problem for Cleveland. Despite that, there is a world in which Cleveland’s talented playmakers on both sides of the ball carry them to a decent record, say 7-10, even without average-level quarterback play. That’s a real hypothetical based on the talent of this team alone.
Is This the Week Watson Pulls Away With the Starting Job?
Asking this question assumes that the $46 million veteran hasn’t been told by the organization that he is the starter regardless of how Sanders plays, which is certainly possible. Owner Jimmy Haslam once called the Watson trade a “big swing-and-a-miss”, but if he performs well this season, he’ll finally get some semblance of a return on the contract. For the sake of this storyline, let’s look at it from the perspective that this quarterback competition is a true opportunity for the 2025 Pro Bowl quarterback. If this is a true, unadulterated competition, Sanders is on his last breath.
Not only does he have money against him, but the former Colorado quarterback isn’t making things any easier with his play. To his credit, he played with mostly backups and guys who might be Amazon drivers rather than NFL players in October, so this needs to be put in context. Should he perform well against Buffalo in practice and on the field in the preseason home opener, then the competition will keep on going. If that does not happen, and it’s another episode of overthrown interceptions and poor pocket presence from Sanders, then this whole operation will be over. The 2026 administration of the Browns is giving the ‘Young King’, the fan favorite, a larger role and real opportunity than what he was given last season. However, the organization definitely wants to give Watson just as much of an opportunity. Like everything, it’ll play out on the field, but it would definitely help Monken out to get the depth chart ironed out before the preseason ends, and another poor showing from Sanders might just put a nail in the coffin.
