The Cleveland Browns are in the quarterback market this offseason with their search significantly hamstrung by the Deshaun Watson contract. While taking a top signal-caller in the 2025 NFL Draft is an option, Cleveland is also reportedly giving strong consideration to a few top options available this offseason.

Ideally, the Browns would reportedly love to land Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward with the second overall pick. However, he’s under strong consideration by the Tennessee Titans with the first pick and there’s a chance another club might trade-up for him.

Cleveland could still take Shedeur Sanders, if Ward is off the board, but the draft stock for the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback is reportedly dropping. The team could also opt to use the second overall pick on the best player available – edge rusher Abdul Carter or receiver Travis Hunter – with a quarterback being signed weeks in advance from NFL free agency.

According to ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, quarterbacks Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones and Carson Wentz are on the Browns’ radar as potential starting options. Notably, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Cleveland is expected to draft a quarterback with the second overall pick.

The persistent NFL rumors about the Browns using the second overall pick on a quarterback could have some impact on their pursuit of Cousins. Just a year ago, he signed with the Atlanta Falcons and then weeks later saw the club use a first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr. If Cousins, who will be released this spring, believes that Cleveland will do the same then he might have less incentive to sign with the club.

There will be significant competition for Jones. He’s reportedly on the Indianapolis Colts‘ radar this offseason and the Minnesota Vikings also want him back. It’s also possible that a team like the New York Jets or Pittsburgh Steelers get involved if Justin Fields lands elsewhere.

Wentz could be an effective backup, but the 32-year-old quarterback also hasn’t seen the field very much in recent years. Over the last two seasons, he’s appeared in just 5 games with 43 pass attempts during that span. In his last stint as a starter, he recorded an 80.2 QB rating with an 11-9 TD-INT ratio with the Washington Commanders in 2022.

At the very least, the persistent chatter around the league is that the Browns will use the second overall pick on a quarterback. While it’s certainly possible that is smoke coming out of Cleveland and the decision could be contingent on who is picked first overall, the franchise does appear poised to draft its quarterback of the future this offseason.