As͏ the Cleveland Browns prepare for a pivotal 202͏5 season,͏ a major storyline continues to center around their crowded quarterback room.
With four passers, veterans J͏oe͏ Flacco and Kenny P͏ickett,͏ along with ͏rookies Shed͏eur Sanders and Dillon Ga͏bri͏el vying for roles, speculation ͏has ͏mounted over whether the team can feasibly retain all͏ ͏four. And longtime Browns insider Ton͏i G͏ros͏si weighed in on the matter to provide more clarity.
Toni Grossi Weighs In on Browns’ Four-QB Possibility
Grossi, who has covered the team since 1984, believes the Browns could indeed keep all four quarterbacks, thanks to increased practice squad flexibility. “Carrying four QBs is more doable now than ever because practice squads have been increased to 16 players,” Grossi explained in a Q&A session.
According to him, a creative roster approach, shorting one position group and bolstering it with practice squad reinforcements, could make room for a fourth quarterback.
However, he cautioned that moving any of the quarterbacks to the practice squad would require waiving them first, exposing them to potential claims.
“In order for a QB to be moved to the practice squad, the player would have to be exposed to waivers and then re-signed,” he noted, signaling that the Browns are unlikely to risk losing any of their young talent in that manner.
Are all 4 Browns QBs actually competing for the starting job?
“If you’re on our roster, you’re competing for a role,” – Browns HC Kevin Stefanski. pic.twitter.com/oCELIQaIAp
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 23, 2025
At the heart of this discussion is Sanders, who completed an impressive 41 of 53 passes during OTAs and minicamp. While head coach Kevin Stefanski insists the competition is open across the board, “If you’re on our roster, you’re competing for a role,” Grossi remains skeptical.
“I tend to not think that it’s as wide open as they say,” Grossi said during a recent session. He believes the team is maintaining an image of open competition to drive rookie motivation.
Nonetheless, on-field decisions and rep allocations suggest that opportunity exists. While Flacco was given limited snaps due to his veteran status, Sanders, Gabriel, and Pickett saw more action, aided by “two spot” practice sessions that allowed simultaneous QB evaluations. Gabriel, for example, led in total reps, going 48 of 83.
General manager Andrew Berry further bolstered the possibility of retaining all four, citing a historical example. “They are ‘absolutely, absolutely, absolutely’ open to keeping all four quarterbacks,” he told Yahoo Sports, referencing the 2000 Patriots’ roster during Tom Brady’s rookie year.
Ultimately, Grossi doesn’t see any cuts happening unless one quarterback underperforms badly in the preseason. “I don’t think any QB will be cut, unless one looks awful in preseason, which I doubt,” he said, adding that Gabriel and Sanders “will have their opportunities over the next four years.”
As rookies continue closed practices and veterans await training camp, the Browns’ quarterback puzzle remains unsolved. But if Grossi is right, the Browns could enter the season with an unusually deep QB room, betting on development, adaptability, and long-term upside.