Cleveland Browns 2026 opponents: What does the schedule look like and how challenging will it be?

Cleveland Browns Season Overview

The Cleveland Browns’ 2025 season unfolded much as many anticipated, with the team finishing at the bottom of the AFC North. Deshaun Watson’s re-injury of his Achilles tendon in January left the team grappling with a challenging quarterback situation—perhaps the toughest in the league. Throughout the season, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedule Sanders took turns as starters, but struggled to effectively lead the offense.

That said, there were some bright spots. The defense, spearheaded by Pro Bowlers Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, as well as rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger, was formidable. While quarterback play hindered the offense, the team did manage to utilize rookie talents like Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., and Dylan Sampson. The organization still seems committed to Watson, despite the challenges. It may take at least another year for him to find his footing, but he’s likely to reclaim a starting role in 2026. Discussions about his potential successor in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft are sure to unfold over the next few months. The team does appear positioned for improvement moving forward.

Cleveland Browns Schedule Analysis

Looking ahead, the Browns will have eight home games and nine away games next season, until the 2026 international game schedule is unveiled. Their opponents will include all teams from the AFC South and NFC South, along with their usual divisional games in the AFC North. Given their fourth-place finish in the AFC North, they will also face the last-place squads from the AFC West (Raiders), AFC East (Jets), and NFC East (Giants) during their 17-game slate.

The schedule for Cleveland is relatively manageable next year, with only five matchups against teams that made the playoffs in 2025. This bodes well for a franchise eager to move forward. Additionally, many of their opponents are lesser teams, like the Raiders, Saints, Titans, Jets, and Giants. With the AFC North seeming to weaken and the historically underwhelming NFC South on the horizon, the Browns could emerge as one of the most improved teams next season—and maybe even contend for a wild card spot.