Browns general manager Andrew Berry confirmed that all four of the team’s quarterbacks – veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – would make the 53-man roster, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.
Berry said earlier this summer that the team would consider keeping four quarterbacks and now seems poised to follow through. On Saturday, he called it “not much of a decision.”
“We have a room that we like all the guys in there,” said Berry. “We don’t really see that as a problem. We more see it as an opportunity.”
Cleveland’s quarterback situation has been the subject of intense scrutiny, perhaps more than any other in the league. The two veterans were long seen as the likeliest starters, with Flacco winning the job as Pickett dealt with a hamstring injury throughout training camp. Pickett is still expected to be ready to backup Flacco in Week 1, per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. Gabriel and Sanders will provide depth, likely in that order, though at least one will be inactive on gamedays.
The focus on The Browns’ 2025 quarterback room comes in spite of signals that the team is planning to prioritize the position in next year’s draft. One such indicator was the acquisition of an extra 2026 first-round pick via the Travis Hunter trade with the Jaguars. Neither Flacco nor Pickett are long-term propositions under center, and the two rookies may not get a chance to establish themselves as future starters this year.
Deshaun Watson is unlikely to regain a starting role in Cleveland, but he’ll still cover more than a quarter of the team’s cap in 2026, per OverTheCap. That could keep the Browns from chasing a veteran in free agency and force them to bet on one of their second-year passers or draft one of the top college quarterback prospects next spring.
Typical Browns. Keep doubling down on mistake after mistake. The only reason to keep 4 QBs (not counting Watson who could come back later in the year) is to mess with the chemistry of the team. When you have 4 QBs you have none, to paraphrase Bill Parcells.
@rockhauler. They do it every year thinking they can get a trade until they release someone, because teams wait it out. All the QBs they saved last year are now gone.
Obviously your NOT a Browns fan ? If you were, you would know we have suffered multiple QB injuries over the last 3 yrs… as for Watson, he’s not playing this year, probably ever…
Flacco is 41, Pickett was brought in to start…Gabriel and Sanders are rookies. We had the worst QB room last year with Watson, DTR and Winston….so yeah we’re going to carry 4 QB’S….
Just release Flacco and play the kids. Eat the guaranteed cash. Either Pickett, Gabriel or Sanders step up, or you’re in position to draft Arch. Playing Flacco to get 2 extra wins this year does nothing for the team.
Arch isn’t coming out in 2026..kid has done nothing at Texas yet everyone assumes he’s a top pick…gotta earn that , not ride on the family name…as for tanking, not happening and we have the Jaguars pick as well…
Yeah everyone is quick to assume he’ll be in the draft next year and I firmly believe he won’t come out until 2027. He also wouldn’t dare put himself in a position to get drafted by the Browns, and I say that as a Browns fan lol
The best case scenario would probably be getting Drew Allar (it was a smart choice to return to school and I’m interested to see his improvement, plus admittedly the hometown hero story would be cool too). If they have to use both firsts to move up for him, fine. If they can keep one to draft someone else too, even better.
They won’t be able to keep four QB’s all year once the inevitable injuries occur.
I’m not saying they will keep 4 quarterbacks on the roster for the full year but if a player gets injured, he’ll go on IR and his spot will be taken by someone else. If he’s just out for a game, they can activate someone from the practice squad
Browns trying to match their QB total with their season win total.
And that’s why they’re the Browns😂
They don’t want the blowback for releasing Sheduer. What a disaster this is going to be
Bizarre…trade Sanders to the Raiders, who are in need of QB depth now, for a 6th or 7th rounder. At least that’ll save some face by not simply cutting him.
Might have trouble getting anything for Sanders after that performance against the Rams pretty much showed everything that was said about him leading up to the draft was true. Indecisive on throws, abandons the pocket too soon.
Total dysfunction!
Four QB’s? I guess that is a decision to make. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough practice reps for two QB’s on your average NFL roster. So, the idea of keeping two guys on the roster that both are going to be desperate for practice reps is kinda stupid.
Two rookies, two guys who are going to need the reps to grow as their preseason performances show are going to be sitting around.
Not sure of the logic.
This is a like a losing fantasy football strategy playing out in real time. Do you Cleveland.