The recent history of the Cleveland Browns has been full of sadness upon sadness upon embarrassment. Even despite the Browns two playoff appearances under former HC Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland once again embarks on a new coaching staff, hoping to find that elusive winning formula that can last into the next decade and into the new domed stadium.
Despite all the struggles, Browns fans remain the most loyal and best fans in all of professional football. That doesn’t mean the passion hasn’t been tamped down recently, but the flame was so bright that Cleveland’s fans still burn the hottest about their football team.
Browns fans have been a lot like the make believe Richmond soccer team from “Ted Lasso,” in that hope is not found and any time they’ve had it, the hope has killed them:
According to the NFL Hope Index 2026, Cleveland fans do not have too much hope this year:
Of the fans polled, the prediction for wins fits what we’ve seen across betting lines:
That uncertainty is reflected in expectations for the season. Nearly two-thirds of Browns fans (65%) predict their team will finish with just four to six wins, while 19% expect seven to nine wins and 15% believe they’ll manage just three wins or fewer.
Of note, only the Baltimore Ravens are found in the Top 10 of hopeful fanbases with the other three AFC North teams ranked 18th or below.
What do you think of these “hope” rankings? Pretty fitting given the talent on the teams near the bottom?
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