The Cleveland Browns will need to be open-minded this offseason when it comes to solving their starting quarterback problem. Shedeur Sanders showed some potential towards the back half of the 2025 NFL season, but Cleveland knows that he still needs more time to develop.
Sanders could very well end up being a fine starter one day, but the Browns need to be proactive in finding more talent and experience in their quarterback room. New head coach Todd Monken might not have the patience to wait and see if Sanders can assume the role long-term, so finding a bridge option could make the most sense.
The 2026 NFL Draft class doesn’t feature a stud prospect at the position outside of Fernando Mendoza, but free agency is another story, as there are options that could make sense in the short-term for the Browns. For example, Malik Willis has been an intriguing prospect for years, though hasn’t been in many situations where he could show off what he can do.
Willis took over for Jordan Love with the Green Bay Packers this year after the latter was forced to miss games, and he performed admirably. Willis’s arm strength and rushing ability make him a legitimate dual-threat on the field that defenses have to account for.
Willis is the exact type of quarterback that could thrive under Monken, but it appears that Cleveland isn’t considered a landing spot at this time, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“Expect at least two and possibly several teams to be involved on Willis. “Miami is definitely in,” a source said. Arizona is combing the market, too, but it doesn’t seem likely that Willis will end up in Cleveland,” Fowler wrote.
The Browns may be hesitant to hand out a lucrative deal to someone like Willis, and it sounds like his market is already heating up, so it makes sense why they’re not being considered too seriously. Like the Browns, the Miami Dolphins, and the Arizona Cardinals have their own quarterback issues and could be more desperate to land Willis.
Still, Willis is the kind of player that Cleveland should be looking out for, so it’ll be interesting to see who they end up chasing after.
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