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Daniel Oyefusi
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku was seated in a chair on radio row at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, giving his plea to teammate Myles Garrett.
Just days earlier, Garrett sent a shockwave through the NFL, publicly announcing a trade request from the Browns. As he conducted multiple interviews on radio row, Garrett said he and the Browns weren’t on the same page and reiterated his desire to play for a contender.
“Speaking with the management at the Browns, I don’t feel like our future is aligned with winning right now,” Garrett told ESPN’s “NFL Countdown” hours before Super Bowl LIX. “And that’s what I’m looking forward to do at this stage of my career.”
Njoku, who like Garrett came to Cleveland as a first-round pick in 2017, saw things differently.
“I think we’re close,” he told Bleacher Report. “We just need a healthy, good quarterback.”
A year ago, the Browns were looking to build on an 11-win season and appearance in the wild-card round. The team sought continuity, retaining the core of a defense that finished No. 1 and hoping that a healthy Deshaun Watson would coalesce an offense that shuffled through quarterback injuries. Instead, Watson posted the lowest Total QBR in the NFL before sustaining a season-ending right Achilles tear, while Cleveland’s defense regressed and was dealt injuries to key contributors.
Garrett’s trade request has the potential to reshape the Browns’ offseason. But general manager Andrew Berry has been adamant that he is not trading the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. And Berry has said he doesn’t envision offloading veteran contracts and rebuilding this season, despite the Browns winning only three games and earning the second pick in the NFL draft.
But with free agency approaching next month and 12 picks in the draft, including four in the top 105 selections, there will be ample opportunities to add talent to an aging roster.
A swift turnaround in 2025 would defy recent history. According to ESPN Research, only nine out of 46 teams have made the playoffs under the current division format (since 2002) after winning three or fewer games in the previous season. The Browns’ chances of returning to the playoffs likely hinge on how the front office addresses the quarterback position this offseason. But with only so much turnover expected, internal improvements will also be necessary.
Here are five things the Browns need to return to the playoffs in 2025.
Stable quarterback play
Finding a starting-caliber quarterback to lead the offense in 2025 remains the Browns’ No. 1 priority. Since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999, the Browns have started a league-high 40 quarterbacks and that figure is likely to increase to 41 in Week 1 next season. Adding a signal-caller in the draft and free agency both remain on the table for Cleveland. The team’s decision-makers met with top prospect Shedeur Sanders at the Shrine Bowl and the former Colorado quarterback said he plans to start his “30” visits next month with a trip to Cleveland.
Whether the Browns select a quarterback with the second pick or later in the draft, it is expected that the team also brings in a veteran prior to that. Sam Darnold, ESPN analyst Matt Bowen’s top free agent quarterback, probably will be too expensive for the Browns, but they could look to add a mid-tier option such as Daniel Jones or Justin Fields to compete for the starting spot.
Whomever Cleveland brings in, finding competent quarterback play with Kevin Stefanski taking back playcalling duties and new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees in the fold is paramount. Browns quarterbacks had a league-high 23 interceptions last season. And of the top-14 finishers in QBR, only three — Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy and Kyler Murray — didn’t reach the postseason. Only two Browns quarterbacks have finished top 14 in QBR since ESPN introduced the metric in 2011: Baker Mayfield, who finished 10th in 2020, and Jacoby Brissett, who started the first 11 games of the 2022 season in place of the suspended Watson and ranked eighth.
A special teams resurgence
In 2023, kicker Dustin Hopkins had a career year and parlayed it into a three-year extension. But in 2024, he struggled, missing a league-high nine kicks. Hopkins was the face of a special teams unit that struggled across the board, save for punter Corey Bojorquez.
In addition to Hopkins’ inconsistencies, Cleveland struggled with returns and coverage. The Browns ranked 30th in yards per kick return (24.8) and 21st in opponent starting field position after a punt return.
Cleveland stood by Hopkins as he worked through his kicking swing, only sidelining him for one game to reset. He’s entering the first year of his extension in 2025 with a guaranteed salary of $2.8 million. The Browns will need to find a more consistent returner and produce better coverage units but most important is Hopkins returning to his 2023 form, when he set an NFL record with five consecutive games in which he made a field goal of at least 50 yards.
“[I] have a lot of confidence in him moving forward in being our kicker,” special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said.
Another productive wide receiver
The offseason trade with Denver for wideout Jerry Jeudy produced slim returns to start the 2024 season but proved to be a shrewd move as the offense turned to Jameis Winston in the aftermath of Watson’s injury. Jeudy eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards and was named to the Pro Bowl, both career firsts. But it wasn’t the season Cleveland envisioned for its wide receiver corps.
As the offense floundered with Watson under center, Amari Cooper struggled with drops and was traded to the Buffalo Bills in October. Elijah Moore recorded a career-low in yards per reception. And Cedric Tillman had a strong three-game stretch but missed the final six games of the season after suffering a concussion.
With Moore set to become a free agent and Tillman still unproven, the Browns, who have made a wide receiver trade in each of the last three offseasons, are back in the market for another starter. Bowen’s top free agent wide receiver, Tee Higgins, is probably too expensive for Cleveland, and many of the other options are aging or have injury concerns. But the team could target a player such as the New York Giants’ Darius Slayton, a vertical threat who can take pressure off Jeudy and Njoku. Slayton, 28, recorded 58 receptions of 20 or more yards in his six seasons with the Giants.
After finishing tied for first in the NFL in yards per play allowed (4.6) and first in EPA per play (-0.11), the Browns’ defense dropped to 23rd and 16th, respectively. Up front, Garrett had arguably a better season than his DPOY campaign. And as a whole, Cleveland’s pass rush held up despite the midseason trade of Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions. The Browns were tied for sixth in pass rush win rate (46.0%) after ranking second in 2023 (54.8%).
But on the back end, where defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz leans on high rates of man coverage, Cleveland was let down by frequent coverage busts and its cornerbacks coming up short in one-on-one matchups. Cornerback Denzel Ward was named to the Pro Bowl again, but opposing offenses targeted Emerson, who had a breakout season in 2023 only to take a step back in 2024.
In 2023, Emerson allowed the lowest passer rating among corners with at least 40 targets (43.8). Paired with Ward on the outside, they formed one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. But in 2024, Emerson was too often caught one step behind. Last season, he allowed a passer rating of 100.5 when targeted, which ranked 49th out of 71 cornerbacks with at least 40 targets. In 2025, Emerson will be entering the final year of his rookie contract. Assuming Garrett is still on the roster in 2025, the Browns will need a bounceback season from Emerson to get its defense back to elite standing.
“The biggest thing has just been finishing at the ball,” Schwartz said. “There’s a lot of metrics that his coverage has been just as tight this year as last year, but there’s a little better finish at the ball, so that’s got to be a point of emphasis.”
A healthy Dawand Jones to anchor left tackle
Four different players started at left tackle, a position from which the Browns will need more stability to get their offense back on track in 2025. Jedrick Wills Jr. started only five games because of a lingering knee injury before landing on injured reserve. Over a three game-stretch, Jones moved from right tackle to left tackle and the 2023 fourth-round pick showed improvement before fracturing his left fibula against the New Orleans Saints in Week 11.
It marked the second straight year Jones’ season ended due to injury. Berry said Jones was “hitting his stride” before his injury and with Wills’ contract set to void, a healthy Jones is likely the favorite to start the 2025 at left tackle after he recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to address another lingering issue he played through last season.
Left guard Joel Bitonio is mulling retirement, but the Browns are in position to return the rest of their 2024 offensive line starters. A return to the wide zone scheme the unit has specialized in before overhauling the offense last season should help. But a healthy Jones performing highly at a premium position would be a boon for the Browns in 2025.
“How that spot looks going into 2025, it’s probably too early to tell,” Berry said, “but we did feel like it was good to get him some game experience at that position.”