The Cleveland Browns enter 2025 with an unsettled quarterback competition that will define their training camp. After bringing back Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, who led them to the playoffs following Deshaun Watson’s injury, they acquired Kenny Pickett from Philadelphia in exchange for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick.
With no clear starter among the veterans, all eyes will be on Cleveland to see who emerges from this crowded room.
Can Joe Flacco’s Experience Anchor the Browns Amid a Four-Way QB Competition?
Recognizing that 40-year-old Flacco isn’t a long-term answer and Pickett showed inconsistency in Pittsburgh, the Browns invested heavily in youth through the draft. They selected Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel in the third round (94th overall) before trading up to land Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders with the 144th pick in the fifth round. This quarterback haul sets up one of the most intriguing position battles of the season.
The initial thought from many experts was that either Flacco or Pickett would win the starting job, with Gabriel and Sanders competing for roster spots. Thanks to his pedigree, Flacco has been considered a frontrunner by many analysts, though Pickett and Gabriel took a handful of snaps with the first team at OTAs.
During his first 11 seasons in the league, Flacco played for the Baltimore Ravens. During that time, he led them to the playoffs six times, won the AFC North twice, played in three AFC Championship games, and ultimately won Super Bowl 47.
Injuries and the rise of Lamar Jackson led to him being traded to the Denver Broncos in 2019. Since then, he has bounced around the league, serving primarily as a backup. However, he has proven that he can step in when needed, as he did for the Browns in 2023 when Watson’s season came to an abrupt end due to a shoulder injury requiring surgery.
In a recent article in The Athletic by Josh Kendall, Flacco’s return to Cleveland was noted as a strategic offseason move by the franchise.
“Even if Joe Flacco doesn’t win the starting job, or doesn’t keep it past Halloween, the Browns made a smart move in April when they brought him back on a one-year deal. Flacco is the best pure thrower of the four-man quarterback group, even at 40, but it’s his steadiness and experience that make him such a valuable addition right now,” said Kendall.
A look back at Joe Flacco’s Comeback Player Of The Year campaign with the Browns 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U1wIt8yxLR
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) June 23, 2025
Many of the current players recall Flacco from 2023, when he earned the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award for his outstanding performance with the Browns.
That familiarity factors in for the veterans, according to Kendall, “Flacco both mastered the offense quickly and earned the respect of the locker room during his 2023 stint with Cleveland. It was clear this spring that players, young and old, can lean on Flacco as the Browns go about the business of trying to fix their broken offense.”
There is still plenty of time before a decision needs to be made, but early indications from organized team activities suggest the competition remains wide open. Reports indicate that Sanders has shown promise despite being a fifth-round pick and receiving fewer reps than the veterans.
This has fueled the debate about whether the Browns would be best served by allowing their rookies to develop behind Flacco and Pickett, or if they should give a younger player the opportunity to start from Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski has maintained that every quarterback in the room will have an opportunity to compete for the starting position. The Browns’ quarterback situation represents a true open competition for the first time since 2017, when the team featured a battle between Cody Kessler, Brock Osweiler, Kevin Hogan, and rookie DeShone Kizer.
Regardless of who ultimately wins the starting job, the Browns are fortunate to have experienced depth in their quarterback room, with Flacco providing veteran leadership and the rookies offering potential for the future. The competition will intensify when training camp begins in July, with the team’s first preseason game scheduled against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8.
