3 Things on Cleveland Browns Schedule Wishlist

The Cleveland Browns will learn their entire 2026 schedule on Thursday evening at around 8:00 p.m.

Before Thursday, the Browns have already learned that they will not be playing internationally. The rest of the AFC North will have to deal with international travel, but the Browns will remain domestically for all 17 regular season games. 

That’s already a huge win for the Browns. Let’s take a look at a few other things on their wishlist that could come to fruition.

Primetime games

Last year, the Browns didn’t have a single primetime game following 2024’s three-win debacle. Coming off of another disappointing season, there’s no guarantee that the NFL will give the Browns a primetime game for the second consecutive year, especially since they don’t have a quarterback.

However, the Browns are expected to play in at least one nationally televised game. Even though the team is retooling, Browns general manager Andrew Berry has stockpiled enough entertaining young talent including Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston that this game would have appeal to a national audience.

If Deshaun Watson starts at quarterback for the Browns, it’ll be his first primetime game since 2023, when Cleveland lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. He had some FOX Game of the Week and CBS national late window games, but that Monday night loss against the Steelers is his only true primetime game in a Browns uniform.

Last year, none of Shedeur Sanders’ seven starts with the Browns were on national television.

AFC North opponent early

The Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin stepped down from the Pittsburgh Steelers – this is going to be a new-look division.

That could benefit the Browns under their own new head coach, Todd Monken. Cleveland expects to see some AFC North foes early on their schedule. Last season, the Browns opened the year with back-to-back losses in the division, against the Cincinnati Bengals and Ravens.

This year, an opener against the Ravens could make sense, especially with Monken’s former ties to Baltimore. These early divisional games could be used as a measuring stick for the Browns, who have plenty of young talent. 

Ideal scheduling for home games

The Browns will only play three more seasons in their existing stadium on the lakefront before moving into their enclosed building in Brook Park. 

Until then, the Browns could try to use the cold elements to their advantage.

In 2026, the Browns will host the Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts on top of their divisional foes. All of these other opponents play in warm weather cities or enclosed stadiums.

Schedule teams like the Raiders, Jaguars, Texans and Falcons later in the season when the weather could be cold for a young quarterback like Fernando Mendoza or a player that underperforms in cold conditions like Tua Tagovailoa could be paramount to some lucky bounces and benefit the Browns.

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