The Cleveland Browns are the current AFC North division leaders. They haven’t been such since the 2021 season. Yes, a Deshaun Watson-led Cleveland Browns team is good again (for now). Back in August when Watson was named the Week 1 starter, it was hard to reason with Todd Monken and the front office’s decision. Now, amidst a three-game winning streak, Watson finally looks like a quarterback worth playing. That doesn’t mean his first four seasons were worth it, but everything that’s fallen into place for this Browns team this season finally feels vindicated.
Everything that set the Browns up for success this season started with the Myles Garrett trade. It was a move the Browns essentially felt they had to make considering Garrett’s 2025 record-setting season during a five-win campaign pretty much summed up why the Browns needed to give him a shot at winning a championship. That move was the first domino to fall, which allowed Cleveland to fully invest in its youth and get to a spot of actually trending upward.
How the Myles Garrett trade kickstarted Cleveland’s hot start to the 2026 season
The Myles Garrett trade was two-fold. One, it helped Cleveland fully reset the clock and turn to their youth by not feeling like they had to build a contender each year. It also put them into a position to not have to fully rebuild by getting Jared Verse in return as part of the deal. The Browns making this trade ultimately put them in position to build up their youth. Mason Graham, before he got hurt in Thursday night’s game, was on pace to be one of the most destructive interior defensive linemen in the NFL this year.
He was criticized for not having the numbers to back up his top five selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, but this season, he’s shown why the Browns were comfortable moving on from Garrett. The most important producers on this team right now are all on their rookie contracts. Mike Hall Jr. is another player that’s taken on a bigger role on the defensive line as well with this defense. This team is no longer being built in the eyes of Garrett; it’s being constructed in a way that has long-term success tied to it.
Giving Andrew Berry time to truly build this team
Andrew Berry has had an interesting time with the Browns. This team spent years trying to turn into contenders and could never figure out the right recipe. That dysfunction nearly cost Berry his job. The Haslams decided to retain Berry despite letting Kevin Stefanski go, and Berry’s final straw turned out to be what he needed. He’s nailed the last two drafts. Not just because the Browns have had good draft positions, but because he’s made the most of the players available. Trading the No. 2 pick and getting another first round pick in the deal was the steal of the 2025 draft.
Even though it was questionable to draft Dillon Gabriel with a third round pick only to take Shedeur Sanders with the fifth round pick, Berry hit on just about every other pick in the 2025 draft. When you look at the 2026 draft, the Browns addressed every important need. They found their left tackle and their new receiving corps with Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion and even Harold Fannin Jr.. Berry proved that he needed time, but he also proved that he was the right person for this Browns turnaround this whole time.
Cleveland wouldn’t be as good as it is without this offensive line
Don’t get me wrong, Watson still has more to prove, but the one thing he’s accomplishing is not costing Cleveland games, which is what Browns fans wanted all along. That said, it helps him not make poor decisions when he has a good offensive line. The Browns can finally say they have a good offensive line now through the first month of the season. They overhauled this offensive line with five new starters this year. While Tytus Howard has been inconsistent, every other player on this offensive line has been playing really well.
This is what Cleveland needed all along in terms of going from a struggling team to a productive one. The offensive line has been holding this team back for quite some time. Now that it doesn’t seem to be a problem, you have to appreciate how quickly Monken and his staff addressed that position group.
Hiring Todd Monken proved to be the wise decision
None of this matters if the Browns don’t make the right coaching hire and it was hard to see Monken as the savior of this team. Four games into his head coaching career, it’s clear Monken was the right choice. He’s rejuvenated this team and put life back into a franchise that felt like it was going dormant. He might be the only coach good enough to resurrect Watson to his Houston form.
This season, Watson is getting back to the version the Browns thought they were paying for. He’s not perfect, but he has a coach that believes in him and lets him run the offense. Whether Watson comes back after this year or not, Monken was always the right person to hire for this job. He’s made some game-management mistakes, but this team probably isn’t as good as they’d need to be if it wasn’t for Monken and his staff.
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