Predicting Every Browns Primetime Game and Opponent

The NFL will release its complete 2026 schedule on Thursday, and Cleveland Browns fans are eagerly wondering when their team will have primetime games this season.

Cleveland had no primetime games last season, and the only game that stood alone was played across the pond in London, starting in the morning in the United States. This scheduling was the exact opposite of prime time.

The Browns should be lined up for a few prime time games this season, especially with a new head coach in Todd Monken. There are several intriguing storylines that the NFL might consider for a spotlight matchup. One possibility could be a game against former quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Another could feature a showdown against former head coach Kevin Stefanski and the Atlanta Falcons. Additionally, there’s the chance of Monken going up against the Ravens, where he spent three seasons as an offensive coordinator.

Cleveland might get two primetime games at most, and here are two possible opponents it could face.

Ravens

The Browns typically face a division opponent in prime time, and this season it looks like that opponent could be the Ravens. Cleveland will have a chance to battle the Ravens, with the first game likely scheduled for early in the season on a Sunday afternoon, followed by a second game that might take place on a Thursday night.

Both the Ravens and the Browns underwent several changes this offseason, including the hiring of new head coaches. It will be interesting to see Monken go head-to-head against his former quarterback, Lamar Jackson, and it would be neat to see one of the games at night.

Buccaneers

This will be the second time Mayfield faces the Browns, with their first matchup taking place in the opening week of the 2022 season, when he was with the Carolina Panthers, just a few months after being traded by Cleveland. In that game, the Browns secured a victory with a 58-yard field goal from Cade York. Now that Mayfield is with Tampa Bay, this upcoming game presents a great opportunity for him to take on the Browns in prime time.

It wouldn't be surprising if the NFL schedules this matchup for the first few weeks of the season as part of "Monday Night Football." There's a strong possibility that Deshaun Watson will be starting for Cleveland early on, setting the stage for an intriguing showdown between him and Mayfield, the player who took Mayfield's place with the Browns.