Throughout the offseason, Browns general manager Andrew Berry has publicly stated a willingness to carry four healthy quarterbacks on the regular season roster. As the cutdown deadline looms, it appears Cleveland will indeed take that route. 
Rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are safe with respect to making the team’s 53-man roster, although it was recently learned Gabriel was the subject of trade interest immediately after he was drafted. The Oregon product has been ahead of Sanders through the offseason, but he – like Kenny Pickett – has missed time during camp due to a hamstring issue.
As a result of Pickett’s missed time and the inexperience of the Browns’ other options, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot writes Joe Flacco represents the top candidate to begin the season as QB1. It would certainly come as no surprise if the 40-year-old handled starting duties at least early in his second stint with the team, especially with Pickett on the mend. Sanders is dealing with an oblique strain, meanwhile, making it unlikely he suits up for Cleveland’s second preseason contest.
However snaps are handled over the coming weeks, Cabot notes each member of the Flacco-Pickett-Gabriel-Sanders quartet can be expected to survive roster cuts. Deshaun Watson remains in the organization, of course, but as he recovers from a second Achilles tear he is highly unlikely to play in 2025. That leaves recent signing Tyler Huntley in the fold for now, although his return to Cleveland came about in the wake of other injuries under center.
Huntley did not make it to Cleveland’s Week 1 roster during his first stint with the team, and that will no doubt be the case once again in 2025. Even if he is released shortly, however, the Browns’ QB room is set to remain crowded into the fall.
Yeah, because one probably got hurt as this was being typed. The Browns have been snakebit with injuries at that position so far. Five QBs, and the 40 year old is the only one healthy (at the moment, at least).
Even if all them were healthy, they don’t have one good QB.
I think Pickett will get traded or released. I don’t see 4 QB’s making the 53 regardless of what Berry is saying now (which may be to increase the likelihood some team will trade for Pickett rather than wait for him to be released).
I still wouldn’t bet on it. I could see them cutting Pickett loose if all four of them are ever actually healthy at the same time. But frankly, why not? It wouldn’t make sense for most teams, but it’s not like this is a win now team or a roster filled to the brim with talent. They set themselves up for a bigger offseason next year. Why not take a look? Because it’s weird and inefficient? Way too late for the Browns to not be weird and inefficient.
Pickett is trash, and Flacco is literally 41 years old. Like what are we doing here? Why is this even a question? Stefanski clearly has no clue as he pushed Mayfield out the door after getting their first playoff win in 30 years, and so they had to scramble to find something after the Watson trade went so horribly wrong. They traded for Pickett, signed Flacco, and would have traded for Cousins too if the Falcons played ball. This is what an aimless franchise looks like. The definition of.
I’ve been (and remain) a Sanders skeptic but he played well enough that he deserves another decent look.
Was it because he was playing against the guys who won’t make the worst team in the league? Maybe. Probably.
But, he did play well and needs another (real, not 4th quarter mop up time) shot.
Flacco is the best of the group
Gabriel and Sanders they just drafted a few months ago
It seems like little mittens is the odd man out here. He will be traded to a team whose starter or backup gets injured.
Agree. They may start with 4 on the roster, but one is likley to become trade fodder before the deadline.
It’s funny how Flacco, 18th pick in the first round and still starting at 41 with a Super Bowl played is the guy they are making fun of all the time. Dude gets no respect.
Pickett was the 20th pick in the first round just 3 short years ago and not getting any respect, but Gabriel and Sanders get all the attention because they are rookie as 3rd and 5th rounders. Media is funny like that.
Watson cashes out huge and forgot how to play the position and can’t get healthy, while Mayfield recovered from his shoulder injury and put in a system where he is thriving.
Football is such a funny game and way too much emphasis is put on when a guy is drafted by the media and guys are given up on too quickly and discarded, while others are shamed for being top 32 at what they do in the world at age 41.
Say what you want about Flacco, but he’s better than 64-100 other backup QB’s and maybe a handful of other starters in the league.
Look what Darnold did in Minnesota in a different situation and let’s see what he does in Seattle this year after losing two veteran starting WR’s. Should be interesting.
Excited to see what Geno can do under the Carroll/Chip combo with a solid RB and excellent TE combo.
It’s a funny game with strange and unpredictable outcomes, which is why we all watch and formulate our own GM opinions, so we can look in the mirror and let our egos get so big that we actually convince ourselves we have clue what it takes to actually be a real GM.
Someone will have to go