The Cleveland Browns created a unique quarterback controversy by bringing in four new signal-callers this offseason. Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders are battling for the team’s starting job.
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees recently discussed a major misconception about his quarterback group.
Tommy Rees Explains Browns’ QB Room
Cleveland’s offense was historically bad in 2024, finishing 32nd in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Deshaun Watson started the team’s first seven games, throwing for 1,148 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions before tearing his Achilles and finishing last in PFSN’s QB+ metric.
He’s still on the roster, but it’s unclear if he’ll play at all next season. The team made wholesale changes to its quarterback room this offseason by trading for Pickett, signing Flacco, and drafting Gabriel and Sanders.
Pickett comes in after winning Super Bowl 59 with the Philadelphia Eagles as Jalen Hurts’ backup. He saw action in five games, throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns. Flacco returns to Cleveland after a year with the Indianapolis Colts. The 17-year veteran led the Browns to the playoffs in 2023 after signing with the team late that season.
Cleveland selected Gabriel in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Over six years, the Oregon product played for three teams in 64 games (63 starts), the most by a quarterback in Division I history.
Sanders endured a historic fall to the fifth round before the Browns ended his suffering. He threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns last season, but has been working as the team’s QB4 so far this spring. Rees spoke during the team’s OTA schedule and broke down a misnomer about his quarterback room.
The Browns’ X account tweeted a clip of Rees’ comments. He said, “I think the misnomer is, the quarterbacks get along in most places. Everyone’s supporting one another. It’s one group. Everyone’s pushing ahead and everyone’s competing, but everyone’s supporting one another. That’s the cool part about being in a quarterback room: the relationship.
“Understanding how close those guys are, and how much they help one another. Look, we’re in a selfless business here. We want the team to win, and we all gotta support one another to do that.”
lot of support in the QB room pic.twitter.com/U5Kh6TVov8
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) June 4, 2025
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Cleveland’s quarterback battle will be one of the biggest NFL stories through the summer, training camp, and preseason. Sanders alone has brought a boatload of media attention to a team that finished with three wins a season ago, and it likely won’t stop until someone wins the starting job.
Sanders and Pickett will battle for the QB1 role in training camp, and the 17-year veteran, who is Flacco, has already said he won’t be a mentor. It’s unlikely both make the team out of training camp, so expect one to be on the trading block during the preseason.
The rookies are fighting their own battle. The Browns created a secondary quarterback controversy by selecting two in the 2025 NFL Draft. With neither projected to start, Gabriel and Sanders will have to beat each other out to secure their place on the team.
Of all franchises, the Browns have the most intriguing NFL storyline heading into the summer.