The battle for the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job in 2025 is wide open, with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders all competing for the job, and even for a spot on the final roster.
While no one knows for sure who will win the starting role or how the depth chart will be structured, a Browns insider suggests that head coach Kevin Stefanski may have dropped a hint about how things are currently shaping up.
Shedeur Sanders Might Be the Fourth Quarterback on the Depth Chart
Perhaps the most talked-about storyline of the preseason will be the quarterback situation in Cleveland. While many fans would love to see Sanders take over as the starter, the franchise has three other quarterbacks, each with a stronger case to lead the team in 2025.
Spencer German, a Browns insider, reported that Sanders is currently viewed as likely the fourth quarterback on the depth chart. The fact that he was drafted in the fifth round is indeed expected to be a determining factor for the coaching staff when setting the order.
“I think they view him as the guy who is the fourth man on this depth chart,” German said. “I know that people don’t like reading into where they took these guys, and I know every time I bring up that s*** or Sanders was a fifth round pick, I get ridiculed in the YouTube comments of “Locked On Browns” because people are mad that keeps being part of the conversation. But the fact of the matter is, he is a fifth-round pick.”
By being selected after Gabriel, Sanders’ chances of winning the starting job over him were already slim from the start. The franchise sent a clear message that it preferred Gabriel as its quarterback, and so far, that has been reflected in training camp, or at least Sanders hasn’t done enough to prove them wrong.
“He was the second quarterback taken by this team and based off if Kevin Stefanski and what he said about Dillon Gabriel the day after he was drafted, [and] based on what we know about this team’s evaluation of him and the pre-draft process and sort of secret meeting they had with him before the Colorado pro day, they really like Dillon Gabriel,” said German.
The insider also reported that on the final day of minicamp, Stefanski may have given a glimpse of how he envisions the quarterback room for the season. In practice, Flacco was clearly ahead, followed by Pickett, with the rookies Gabriel and Sanders trailing behind. Things could still change, but this currently appears to be the team’s depth chart.
Among the four quarterbacks, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that Sanders will be the starter in Week 1, given everything that happened during his draft process and the fact that the franchise likely doesn’t want to throw him into action right away.
Whether Cleveland will carry four quarterbacks into the regular season remains uncertain. But for now, Flacco is the clear favorite to start Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.