CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 04: Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett 95 reacts with his teammates after breaking the single-season sack record during the game against the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 4, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 04 Browns at Bengals EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260104144

Jul 1, 2026, 3:11 AM CUT

Browns rewarded for community work as ESPY’s make major announcement

The Cleveland Browns added another feather to their cap by becoming one of the four finalists for the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award.

The three other finalist teams are the Baltimore Ravens, the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm. Following the news, Browns’ owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam released a statement as per Cleveland.com.

“Being named a finalist for the ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year award is a tremendous honor that reflects the dedication of everyone involved, from our staff, our players, our partners and most importantly, the communities we serve,” said Jimmy and Dee.

Per Browns insider Irie Harris of cleveland.com, the “Browns Give Back” program provided 19 new football fields for high school football programs throughout Northeast Ohio. This is one of the largest and longest-running youth sports infrastructure initiatives that is headlined by an NFL organization.

“Our family is proud to call Northeast Ohio home and more motivated than ever to continue investing in the young people who make this region so special,” added Jimmy and Dee in their statement.

Remembering Major Don Steinbrunner: The Ex-Browns OT & Vietnam Veteran — May 8, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; A general view of Cleveland Browns helmets during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Browns have also launched a statewide initiative by the name “Stay in the Game! Attendance Network”. Through this initiative, the organization has improved school attendance for 612,000 students across 239 school districts statewide.

Harris added that ever since the Browns launched football initiatives in 2014, the Haslam family has invested more than $23 million. This has contributed to a 163% increase in youth football participation within Northeast Ohio since 2020.

A crowning achievement of this multi-million dollar commitment arrived in the state capitol, as the Browns' sustained financial backing successfully pushed girls' high school flag football into becoming an officially sanctioned state championship sport.

Harris concluded by reporting that all Browns staff logged at least 10 volunteer hours in 2025. While the Browns have been active off the field, much of the attention is centered around the Browns’ ongoing QB1 battle heading into the 2026 season.

The Browns' starting quarterback competition has a frontrunner, per NFL insiders

Across the league, the most-talked-about topic concerning the Browns has been at their quarterback position. QBs Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have been at it throughout the offseason, but the QB1 for the 2026 season remains a mystery.

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN shared that Watson has had the “leg up” over Sanders for a while, but the latter has shown significant progress. He added that while the Browns are letting the QBs play it out till preseason games, most people across the league expect the veteran Watson to bag the job.

According to Ernesto Cova of the Dawg Pound Daily, Watson will take the lead for Week 1 but will perform poorly. Cova expects Watson to be “pulled at some point midway through the season”.

Cova concluded that the Browns’ search for their franchise QB remains unresolved. However, with two first-round picks during the 2027 NFL Draft, the Browns are positioning themselves to be able to acquire a promising prospect.

Written by

Naomi Grace