This coming Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in 2024. College football will start, and anticipation of the upcoming NFL season builds with fans. Cleveland Browns fans have reasons to be optimistic about the 2024 season. And anything short of a deep playoff run in 2024 would be considered a disappointment.

The Cleveland Browns are currently outspending the rest of the NFL rosters by an average of $50 million dollars in guaranteed money.  This is how the Cleveland Browns manipulate the NFL salary cap. The owner of the Browns has the liquidity to pay the guaranteed money on the veteran contracts to lower the salary cap hit on the current year. Other manipulations are used like void years to the contracts and signing bonuses help with the salary cap. In other words, there is no excuse for the Browns not making the playoffs in 2024.

In 2023 the Cleveland Browns finished the season with an 11-6 record and made the playoffs as the 5th seed AFC Wildcard team.  They did this despite having 26% of their salary cap on injured reserve. That shows exactly how talented and deep the roster is for this team. Key players like Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb are expected to be back in 2024. Watson will be ready week 1 and Chubb will be out until at least week 5 this season. Despite the later arrival of Chubb, the Cleveland Browns are in new territory in 2024.

For the first time in over two decades the Cleveland Browns fans have high expectations for this team. The big question is how will this team respond to such expectations? Other AFC north teams’ fans have similar expectations. Pittsburgh hasn’t had a losing season in over 20 years. Baltimore was one game away from the Super Bowl last year. And Cincinnati did almost win a Super Bowl 3 years ago. The Browns are coming off a playoff season in 2023 and expect to go further in 2024. Good teams with good rosters in the NFL find ways to win games, and the 2024 Cleveland Browns should be no different. With high expectations or not, just win.