If you are a fan of the Cleveland Browns, you could choose to see Sunday’s Super Bowl LX matchup between the Seahawks and Patriots with a certain level of despair. After all, New England has now played in a Super Bowl in every decade going back to the 1980s. The Seahawks, meanwhile, will be making their fourth appearance in the Big Game since 2006.
It need not be said, but we’ll say it, anyway: The Browns, after having dominated their early leagues with 10 straight championship game appearances and seven wins in the 1940s and 1950s, and after appearing in the final two NFL championship games before the advent of the Super Bowl in 1966, have never even been to the Big One in its 60 yards of existence.
But there’s hope. If there’s one thing a Browns fan can take from the Patriots’ appearance in the Super Bowl on Sunday, and to a lesser extent from the Seahawks’ appearance, it’s hope.
Patriots, Browns Were Coming off 8-Win Stretches
The Patriots, before this magic season, totaled eight wins in 2023 and 2024, and underwent not one but two coaching changes. The Browns are right in that neighborhood, with eight wins in the last two years and a new coach. Todd Monken might not be Mike Vrabel, or his old staff-mate Mike Macdonald, but he does have a chance to reset the team and he’s already shown he is a fairly emotional leader.
But Monken alone is not going to be what gets the Browns to the Super Bowl. Suggesting that would be disingenuous–Cleveland needs a roster overhaul, which is what New England did 11 months ago. The difference, though, is that the Browns only need a half-roster rebuild, where the Pats re-did the whole thing.
Browns Can Build a Super Bowl Offensive Line Quickly
Start with the offensive line. The Browns’ line was banged-up with injury throughout 2025, and wasn’t that good when healthy. Cleveland has the No. 31 offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus.
New England has exactly one holdover (Mike Onwenu) from its 2024 offensive line, which was rated No. 32 by Pro Football Focus. The Browns, similarly, could hope for a Joel Bitonio return. The Patriots drafted two rookies (first-rounder Will Campbell and third-rounder Jared Wilson) who man the left side of the line. They brought in Garrett Bradbury at center and Morgan Moses to play right tackle.
Moses got three years, $24 million, and Bradbury got two years, $9.5 million. The Patriots invested two good picks in the line, and the Browns would need to do the same. But it did not take a massive amount of cap space to rebuild the unit.
Receiving Crew Will Need to Refresh
The Browns’ receivers are a problem, too. The Patriots remade their receiver room with the signing of Stefon Diggs (three years, $63 million), but it went beyond him. They also added a quality, versatile veteran in Mack Hollins ($5 million), drafted another in Kyle Williams and got a surprise season from Kayshon Boutte.
The Browns could already have their Diggs if Jerry Jeudy can bounce back from a miserable 2025. It’s a big ask, but he did have 90 catches for 1,229 yards just one year ago. Cedric Tillman is a useful player. They’d need either Isaiah Bond or Malachi Corley to have a Boutte-type breakout year.
Again, much hinges on Jeudy, and that’s iffy. But they can sign a quality veteran, and add a draft pick to the current mix, the receivers’ room could be much-improved, too.
GettyCleveland Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy.
Browns Are Due Some Luck in Super Bowl Quarterback Search
It is entirely possible, then, for the Browns to remake their offensive supporting cast around their quarterback in a hurry. The Patriots did just that. The Browns, you’ll surely say, do not have Drake Maye on the roster. Indeed, Shedeur Sanders had some nice moments, but he did not show signs of being an MVP candidate in a year.
And the quarterback is the toughest and most important position to fill in NFL, maybe in all of sports.
But look, the Seahawks were, a year ago, a team with Geno Smith at quarterback. They took a gamble on Sam Darnold, who was rated 13th in the NFL by PFF after his one season with the Vikings, but had been a backup before that. Darnold did not exactly come out of nowhere, but he was hardly expected to be a Super Bowl QB for Seattle.
The Browns do not need to rebuild their defense. They can make smart, cost-effective moves to quickly reboot the awful receiver and offensive line units. And then, frankly, they will need some luck to get even a league-average quarterback–maybe Sanders, maybe a rejuvenated Deshaun Watson, maybe Mac Jones or Malik Willis or Kyler Murray.
That will take lottery-level luck. But … there’s hope.
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