Cleveland Browns’ 2026 schedule release is going to come with a key storyline that’ll leave some fans with mixed feelings
We are just a couple of days away from the 2026 schedule being revealed for the Cleveland Browns. There’s already one storyline to watch for the Browns with them set to see a familiar face on the road.
We will get the full Cleveland Browns’ 2026 NFL schedule on Thursday and it’ll be a full look at the road the team will travel in Todd Monken’s first season.
Cleveland will play a fourth-place schedule following its last-place finish in the AFC North last season. The Browns went 5-12 last year but their 2026 schedule is a whole lot easier. In fact, the Browns are set to have one of the easiest schedules in all of the NFL this coming fall.
The Browns’ 2026 schedule will include them visiting an old friend
It’s already known who the Browns will play at home on the lake and away on the road. When looking at the opponents on paper, the Browns are going to have a favorable road schedule in 2026. One of the places the Browns will travel to is Florida to face off against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, unless it’s made an international game.
2026 road opponents for the Cleveland Browns
- Baltimore Ravens
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Giants
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- New Orleans Saints
Mayfield of course is the former No. 1 overall pick by the Browns back in the 2018 NFL Draft and he played in 60 games with the team. The former Oklahoma star was unable to prove he’s the franchise guy in Cleveland, and injury played a major part in it. Cleveland opted to trade for Deshaun Watson to replace Mayfield, then shipped Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers. The Browns moving on from Mayfield will always be one of the biggest what-if moments for the franchise.
There’s no doubting that Mayfield was able to grow as a player and person once he left Cleveland and bounced around some. The former Heisman winner is a two-time Pro Bowler with the Buccaneers, and his best season as a pro came in 2024 when he had 4,500 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Mayfield remains a gunslinger who is going to have some turnovers, but he’s become more productive in time as well.
The storyline here would be even better if it were Mayfield returning to Cleveland, which he did in 2022 when he was with the Panthers. Cleveland won that game on a last-second kick by K Cade York, though this is a much better Bucs team the Browns will be facing in 2026.
Cleveland doesn’t know who its quarterback will be yet, likely either Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders. The Browns boast a better defense than Tampa Bay can offer, and the path to winning will be slowing down the Mayfield-led offense. Despite not having the full schedule yet, you can bet this game will be one a lot of folks have circled.