Browns fans have good reason to be NFL's least optimistic fanbase per The Athletic

The Cleveland Browns are coming into the 2026 NFL season likely to be one of the worst teams in the league. It would be a shocker if they made the playoffs, or even just had close to a .500 winning percentage.

This team just, simply put, isn't good enough right now. Looking into the future, there are plenty of question marks surrounding this team as well. So, for the loyal Browns fans who've stuck through thick and thin, how optimistic should they be?

According to Adam Coleman of The Athleti c, a poll conducted among fans of all NFL teams, the Browns fanbase was overwhelmingly the least optimistic in the league. Unfortunately, they have good reason to have such little optimism.

Browns are least optimistic fan base in NFL for good reason

Coleman shared that Browns fans handed out a brutal 2.7 percent optimism score, by far the lowest in the NFL. In 31st place, second-worst in the league, was the Miami Dolphins ' fanbase, which at least had 11.1 percent optimism.

There is only one team's fanbase where at least 90% of the fanbase is not optimistic, and it's the Browns. This is warranted for a few reasons.

Trading Myles Garrett is certainly a huge blow, especially after he just set the sack record. Losing Jim Schartz also doesn't help.

Looking to the offensive side of the ball, Deshaun Watson being named the starting quarterback is such a major letdown for Browns fans that there is very little to be excited about to start the season.

Watson isn't their QB of the future. Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green probably aren't either, but they are at least more exciting options who have somewhat of a chance of being a decent QB in the NFL.

It should not be a surprise that Browns fans are the least optimistic in the NFL. But there are still some things worth getting excited about.

Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion are a nice set of weapons on offense. If they can find a franchise QB and improve the offensive line further, this offense might actually be decent.

Defensively, they have Jared Verse, Emmanuel McNeill-Warren, Tyson Campbell, Mason Graham, and Carson Schwesinger as key pieces who should be around for a while. Plus, Denzel Ward is still in Cleveland and just signed a two-year extension.

With two first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, there is a path towards success in the not-so-distant future for the Browns. The issue, however, is that the 2026 season is looking like it's going to be a brutal one.

Should Browns fans be the least optimistic in the NFL? Probably. But there is still some reason to have hope for the future; it's just not something that will materialize in 2026. Come back in a year, and things will, hopefully for Browns fans, feel a lot better.