It's late February, and the Cleveland Browns have a lot of work to accomplish.
What isn't atop the list, however, is the sport's most important position. Cleveland understandably isn't anywhere near determining who might start at quarterback in 2026, but a few options are open.
Shedeur Sanders returns for his second season after starting seven games and showing both signs of promise and struggles typical of a rookie fifth-round pick. Third-round pick Dillon Gabriel is also under contract. And lastly, there's Deshaun Watson.
General manager Andrew Berry reminded folks Tuesday it is only February, but didn't shy from the possibility of Watson -- the quarterback Cleveland handed a fully guaranteed $230 million deal in 2022 -- returning from his extended absence to vie for the starting job in the final year of said contract.
"I think any player on our roster we would want to compete. We believe in competition at every spot," Berry said. "That's no different than quarterback. Deshaun's been working really hard. He's been working his tail off. Like I said, we're excited to go into April with all of our players across the roster because competition is something that we really believe in."
When asked earlier in his Tuesday media session with reporters in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, Berry noted it is only late February, and he and new head coach Todd Monken have plenty of time to sort things out before on-field activities begin. In fact, quarterback shouldn't be his greatest concern right now, because there are other areas that certainly need attention as we near March.
If Joel Bitonio decides to call it a career, Cleveland's offensive line could lose as many as four of its five starters from last season, leaving only tackle Dawand Jones -- who wasn't great before he suffered a season-ending injury in 2025 -- as their lone returning starter. Berry will first need to reconstruct the blocking unit before even considering what might unfold behind the front five.
The Browns also need reinforcements at receiver, and with David Njoku expected to head elsewhere in free agency, they could use a new tight end to pair with rookie standout Harold Fannin Jr. in 2026.
Still, because it is the most important position in football and because a polarizing figure in Sanders is in contention for the starting job, eyes will remain trained on the quarterback situation in Cleveland.
If Sanders is going to build on the positives he displayed down the stretch of his rookie season, he'll need to do so well before training camp.
"I think the biggest thing we want to see from Shedeur is just continued growth," Berry said. "I think he grew a lot from start one to start seven. Certainly, playing more efficiently, not putting the ball in harm's way as much will be important while maintaining the ability to produce out of structure and generate explosive plays.
"You're not going to see all of that in the upcoming month because we're not on the field. So the biggest thing he can do is learn the new offense, get in with the coaching staff once our offseason program starts, continue to work on his body physically and then make strides once we actually get on the grass."
If Sanders can make significant strides, he could claim the job as his own during the summer. But if Watson is going to rescue whatever is left of his NFL career, things could get interesting in Cleveland -- and it sounds as if the Browns are open to all outcomes.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: NFL Network and NFL+ will have live coverage of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine beginning Feb. 26.