There has been plenty of talk this offseason surrounding the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback role. Joe Flacco is the presumed favorite to start in September despite the team trading for former Pittsburgh Steelers starter Kenny Pickett.
The Browns also drafted two top quarterback prospects in April’s NFL Draft, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, igniting an offseason of speculation around the position. While many believe the starting job is open to all four quarterbacks, Browns analyst Tony Grossi doesn’t see it that way.
Cleveland Browns Analyst Suggests the Team is Misleading Its Young Quarterbacks
Speaking on ESPN Cleveland recently, Grossi suggested that the Browns’ starting quarterback job isn’t as open a competition as the team suggested. Speculation about the team’s eventual quarterback depth chart was kicked into overdrive when offensive coordinator Tommy Rees told reporters that the job was there for the taking.
“You can see them all winning the job, I think, right? And so in terms of the competition, we’re so early in the process. We’re so early in evaluating that. Yeah, I think, you know, we have a good group of guys that continue to push one another, and by the time September rolls around, we’ll be ready to go.”
Rees, who is in his first year with the team, was always going to leave the door open for all four quarterbacks, even if, realistically, the team already has a starter in mind. Nevertheless, his answer provoked another wave of speculation about Sanders winning the role, something Grossi isn’t buying.
“I tend to think it’s not as wide open as they say,” he said. “I think they want to portray it as wide open, to keep the rookies competing as hard as they can. And to believe that the harder you work, the closer you get to a better role.”
Kevin Stefanski Plays Down Significance of Shedeur Sanders’ Lack of First-Team Reps
Speaking to the press after the second day of Browns minicamp, Cleveland’s head coach, Kevin Stefanski, was asked why Sanders hadn’t practiced with the first team. The coach dismissed the importance of which quarterback was practicing with whom, explaining that the team wasn’t focused on hierarchy so early in the offseason.
“We’re so far away from that type of thought process,” he said. “Honestly, we’re in our installation phase. It’s the offseason, it’s OTAs, so we’re gonna keep the focus there. But once you get into training camp, you’re getting ready to play games, and ultimately playing the season, but right now, that’s not our focus.”
Regardless of whether or not Sanders has a chance to be the Browns’ starter in September, it almost certainly won’t become clear until much closer to the start of the season. The two veterans remain the favorites to compete for the job, but there are several months of camp battles, preseason games, and wild speculation to come before it matters most.