The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback situation has become the most intriguing in the NFL this offseason, as four quarterbacks remain in contention for the starting job in 2025.
It has been widely expected that the Browns will offload one of their four quarterbacks before September, with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett deemed most likely to leave. That may not be the case, though, according to Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot, who has argued that all four players could remain on the roster this year.
Cleveland Browns Could Keep Four Quarterbacks On the Roster Throughout 2025
The Browns approached the 2025 NFL Draft needing their quarterback of the future, and left the draft with two new candidates. With four quarterbacks now on the roster, not including the injured Deshaun Watson, the Browns are expected to move a player before the season starts.
Cabot, however, believes it would make sense for the team to keep all four quarterbacks onboard, potentially for the entire season. Cabot points to the low financial cost of keeping the four players and the flexibility it would give the team down the road.
“The base salaries and cap numbers of the four are as follows: Joe Flacco ($4.25 million base, $2.854 million cap); Kenny Pickett ($2.623 million base and cap); third-round pick Dillon Gabriel; ($840,000 base, $1.132 million cap); and Shedeur Sanders ($840,000 base, $951,845 cap.) That’s a total of a little more than $7.6 million in cap space for all four,” writes Cabot.
“If the Browns find themselves still in the playoff conversation after eight games, they’ll start whoever gives them the best chance to win, regardless of their need to evaluate the rookies. In that case, they might even hang onto all four for the season.”
“But if they’re out of it by then, or close to it, they’d undoubtedly consider unloading a veteran and turning it over to the rookies. In a perfect world, they’ll get a good look at both Gabriel and Sanders this year to help shape the room in 2026.”
The Browns would undoubtedly love to focus primarily on developing a young team that can compete in the long term. But with star pass rusher Myles Garrett signing a new contract this offseason, it’s highly likely that some promises were made about competing in the near future.
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Should either Gabriel or Sanders become a solid starting NFL quarterback, the Browns will be in a great position come 2026, with two first-round picks to further strengthen with. Realistically, neither Flacco nor Pickett will be expected to push Cleveland past any of their division rivals, meaning the rookies will likely get their chance come the winter.
