The Browns added intrigue to their unsettled quarterback room during the draft by respectively selecting Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the third and fifth rounds. Those two will be joined in training camp by veteran Joe Flacco and trade acquisition Kenny Pickett. 
The latter has appeared to be in the lead for the starting gig on more than one occasion so far. Pickett – a Steelers first-rounder in 2022 – did not develop as hoped in Pittsburgh and was dealt to the Eagles last year. After a single campaign as Jalen Hurts‘ backup, the 27-year-old was acquired by the Browns as an option capable of handling QB1 duties.
To no surprise, Cleveland declined Pickett’s fifth-year option this spring. As a result, he is a pending 2026 free agent. Pickett’s market value will depend greatly on how he performs with the Browns, and keeping the starter’s role throughout the season would be key in helping his stock. Both Gabriel and Sanders loom as potential replacements in the lineup, however, and Flacco is certainly a strong candidate to open the year atop the depth chart.
Indeed, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe notes Flacco may now be considered the favorite entering training camp (video link). In 2023, a midseason Flacco signing proved to be highly beneficial for Cleveland. The former Super Bowl MVP took on starting duties and helped lead the Browns to the postseason. Flacco, 40, returned via free agency after a one-and-done season with the Colts. He is the only signal-caller with a history in head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s scheme, something which will no doubt play a role in determining the team’s starter early on.
Both Gabriel and Sanders are under team control for the next four years, meaning they should be expected to remain on the roster once summer cutdowns take place. Wolfe confirms a trade involving either rookie should not be expected. That could leave the Browns in position to carry all four quarterbacks on their active roster, something general manager Andrew Berry recently expressed a willingness for. A more realistic scenario, though, remains either Pickett or Flacco being traded ahead of Week 1 (provided the Browns’ other passers remain healthy, of course).
As a result, the performances between Cleveland’s veteran quarterbacks will be worth watching closely this summer. The question of which signal-caller sees the first start in 2025 (presumably the winner of the Flacco-Pickett contest) will be key in determining which makes the most total starts this season. It will be interesting to see how first-team reps continue to be split once padded practices begin as the Browns continue their evaluation process.
Flacco still has a strong arm, but he’s throwing more and more INTs as he gets older. Plus one big hit and he’s on IR. As John Madden said, if you have more than one QB you don’t have any QBs. Sounds like a real merry-go-round of QBs for CLE this season. They’ll need a strong running game to stay competitive.
That was back then.
Now teams need three QBs at all times, especially teams drafting QBs.
Flacco is the established vet with a track record who can start for a bit and mentor the young guys. Pickett is the hopeful bridge QB starter who then becomes a backup until they feel Gabriel or Sanders is ready to be the backup. They may roll with four if they feel Pickett isn’t ready to start or they need Flacco to give them a reliable backup while the young guys develop.
It’s obvious their long term vision though is to have Sanders starting with Gabriel as his backup.
When you have two quarterbacks, you have none. Remember that quote?
If you have 0 quarterbacks, you still have zero.
In this case, when you have 5 quarterbacks, you still have zero.
Math.
I’ve always thought Madden’s comment was dumb. Like Ricky Bobby saying if you ain’t first, you’re last. If you have two good QB’s you have two QB’s.
I agree. If you have two QBs, you have…two QBs. They may not be very good (or you don’t know it, if either/both are), but you have them. I get what he’s saying, but it’s just a bit true way of saying that you only should one QB. Besides, Earl Morrall, Jim Plunkett, Nick Fokes, and Jeff Hofstetler should be proof otherwise…
It’s up there for me with Parcells’ “you are what your record says you are.” That’s great for motivating players, but going 9-8 in the NFC North is not the same as going 9-8 in the AFC South in 2025. If you’re a team who lost to good teams, you’re probably more dangerous than a team who lost to bad teams.
Also, the saying that refs can’t lose games. They absolutely can lose games. That’s good for players to believe, but for fans and observers, it just lets crappy officiating off the hook for sometimes messing with results. Just because a team can, potentially, come back from a bad call doesn’t mean that it didn’t affect the game.
I see that misspelled “Foles” and “Hostettler” due to a combination of my cumbersome fingers and autocorrect, but I can no longer edit it. My apologies.
I basically do this with every post bc I only visit this site from my phone.
I miss the days of real keyboards and not virtual ones!
When I was your age, you had to walk the keyboards to school uphill both ways…in the snow!
For the Browns they are always 0. And 0 times anything is still 0
Math scholars around the world are trying to understand that the exception to this rule involves the Cleveland QBs * any number is somehow negative 0. It is the only known instance of the negative 0 phenomenon.
It makes you scratch your head what and the Hell the Brown’s organization is doing.
Myles Garrett must have hit everyone in the front office with his helmet and gave them all concussions.
Like the Steelers he can’t get enough of Mason Rudolph
Kenny Pickett should be a non factor. First up should be Dillon Gabriel, then Flacco, then Sanders. But I’ll bet they’ll trot Sanders out there to start the season. There’s a reason they waited to draft Sanders in the 5th round, but they will want to show how smart they were by getting him with such a low pick. He can’t be worse than Dumbshawn Watson, but that’s not saying much. He looks decent playing against the 4th team camp fillers, but he’s going to get killed against the big boys.
As a Browns fan I can tell you Stefanski really likes Pickett and Gabriel. Flacco is most likely a trade candidate at some point if either Pickett or Gabriel prove starter worthy… as for Sanders, he’s a developmental project and he won’t be starting any time soon..if at all this season
I believe Stefanski won’t have a choice. The call to play Sanders will come from upper management. They want butts in the seats. People will come to watch Sanders because of all the hoopla that comes with him and his dad. Pickett couldn’t keep his job with the Steelers when they basically had no one else. Flacco can’t be traded, he’s to old and delicate, it’s starting or he’s going to get cut. Gabriel will win the job if it’s a fair fight, but I don’t think it will be.
Yeah you know they’re gonna be pushing Sanders as the QB on everybody from day one.
Well, at this point, those rookies don’t really have that much value. A third round pick is a player who was passed on many times by teams, and Sanders in particular may not have been picked in the fifth by any other team, if the more negative reports are to be believed. The Browns have made their choices there, and they may as well stick with them-if there’s any value for these picks, it would come by showing something on the field or after an injury. Pickett and Flacco are the only two with value, and having them duel it out for the top spot shows that Cleveland isn’t comfortable-at least yet-rolling out Gabriel or Sanders.
Flacco would be the easiest to replace, given that he probably is too old to take long term punishment, but he would easily slot in as the best backup for either of the rookies. The only reason to start Pickett-which it appears Cleveland will do-is if they don’t think Gabriel or Sanders are ready to come in after a few games of Flacco starting. It says pretty clearly that neither are players that the Browns are comfortable with at this time, which means that at this time they have no value, and any trade would just be a net loss if possible at all. Cleveland made the selections, so they’ll need to give those guys some time to show something for now, and I expect them to take that approach (at least until the end of the preseason).
Neither would go through waivers unclaimed tho
Agreed. The Browns wouldn’t see much from that though, unfortunately.
If you have 2 QBs you have 0?
Definitely some Steiner Math happening there lol
That sounds a lot like:
When I’m right I’m right. When I’m wrong I could’ve been right, so I’m still right cause I could’ve been wrong.
Yes, but how many Browns QBs does it take to change a lightbulb?
A. All of ‘em
B. Trick question – they dont have QBs.
C. Nick Chubb used to do it, but he is gone now.
D. They just decide to just practice in the dark.
E. No one will ever know. Ownership doesn’t remember where they put the lightbulbs
This isn’t even news. Of course they aren’t trading either rookie, and have said that multiple times.
Two Sheds not doing himself any favors driving like a maniac.
The Browns would be idiots to start anyone other than Joe Flacco. If they are serious about putting their best foot forward to try to win games, he’s the only choice. It should be his job to lose.
This franchise is a joke.
They would be stupid to start Flacco, they spent two draft picks on the QBs, and a 40yr old isn’t gonna do anything for them
You don’t start young QBs before they’re actually ready. That’s what would be a stupid thing to do.
Indy did with Richardson, and Tennessee with Levis. You shouldn’t start them I agree, but these teams did.
The problem with Levis was Tennessee waited too long to start him and then basically threw him to the wolves.
You have to develop them and ease them in rather than messing them up then going after the next shiny object.
You’re going to get banned from here for making too much sense.
Because they’re stupid.
Which is precisely why the Browns will probably do it. Instead of giving two young guys some time to lean and develop, just toss them to the wolves and then wonder why you’re always back at square one in 2-3 more seasons.
Right? That’s why certain teams always have trouble finding their QB of the future. They hop from one prospect to the next.
He is literally the best QB on the roster. All he’ll do is throw for 3K+yards and a lot of TDs. Yeah, who would want that. Not only that, he’s already familiar with the coach’s offense. You think Gabriel and 2 Sheds are ahead of Flacco’s talent?
The fact the browns have to say they’re not trading a rookie qb before training camp is classic browns behavior
Gosh, who should Cleveland have around as a veteran mentor for the rookies….Flacco or Pickett. The only thing Cleveland should be thinking is how best to market Pickett for picks.
Flacco is not interested in being a mentor. He has stated he wants to be viewed as a player not mentor.
Continuing a proud multi-generational tradition, the Cleveland Browns still have no idea what they’re doing.
The Browns could have 10 QB’s and they still wouldn’t have a QB.