One of the most interesting wrinkles to monitor this entire offseason has been the quarterback room for the Cleveland Browns. Entering rookie training camp, the Browns had five different quarterbacks on the roster. While Deshaun Watson isn’t a candidate for the 2025 season, as he’s sidelined with an injury, the other four were.
As a result, through OTAs and mandatory minicamp, it has been a tussle between veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, and rookie selections Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to try to win the QB1 spot. As one of the most popular rookies in recent memory, a lot has been made about Sanders’ chances, and we now have an official update.
Could Shedeur Sanders Be the Browns QB1 in 2025?
After an incredible collegiate career, the son of NFL legend and former Defensive Player of the Year Deion Sanders, was a highly touted prospect going into the 2025 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan, and he fell mightily during the event.
From a prospective first-round talent, his number was eventually called in the fifth round with the 144th overall pick, 50 picks after his teammate, Gabriel. However, throughout the offseason, the rookie has been hard at work to carve out a role for himself.
Unfortunately, it might not mean much, at least immediately. During the latest edition of “Unsportsmanlike” on ESPN, chief NFL insider Adam Schefter broke down the chances Sanders had of being a starter in Week 1 for Cleveland.
“Not to start the season. Unless he just comes in and lights it up.” And history backs up Schefter’s claim. “There’s been one quarterback drafted in the third round or later that’s wound up winning the starting quarterback job on opening day, and that was Dak Prescott in 2016.”
But even in that scenario, Prescott wasn’t pegged as the starter immediately. Instead, an injury to Tony Romo is what forced the Dallas Cowboys to elevate the highest-paid quarterback in league history into that role.
However, Schefter did leave open the possibility for either Sanders or Gabriel to win the starting job eventually. But, as far as opening day was concerned, his verdict was clear on the starting job for the Browns.
“I think it would be an upset if Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett were not the Browns opening day starting QB” – @AdamSchefter via @UnSportsESPN
Schefter does not rule out Shedeur Sanders playing well in camp and taking over early in the season 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/yhkHRTQ6ph
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 17, 2025
“I think it would be an upset if Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett were not the Browns’ opening day starting QB. And then you hope that one of these young guys can develop, play well to earn that starting job.”
The only path Schefter sees for the rookies to stake their claim is if Cleveland has a Russell Wilson-type situation on their hands. Even after signing Matt Flynn, the Seattle Seahawks gave Wilson the starting job after an electric performance in training camp.
But, while their numbers have been impressive, it doesn’t look like Gabriel or Sanders are going to follow that route.