This day was inevitable. After Deshaun Watson’s status remained uncertain for the entire 2025 season, the Cleveland Browns had to scramble to find a quarterback to take on the starting mantle. Somehow, over the course of the offseason, the team ended up with five options. The first two to join the roster were Joe Flacco via free agency and Kenny Pickett, thanks to a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
However, the Browns weren’t done just yet. In the 2025 NFL Draft, they drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round with the 94th overall pick, before also selecting Shedeur Sanders in Round 5 and pick 144. Eventually, they also added Tyler Huntley as a name to throw preseason snaps at. All five names were embroiled in a battle for spots on the roster. Ultimately, one name fell short.
Cleveland Browns Moving Ahead With 4 Active Quarterbacks
The quarterback competition was on full display during the team’s preseason slate. Even though they went undefeated, Cleveland had a different quarterback start in all three of their games.
Before their final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Kevin Stefanski made it clear that Joe Flacco was going to be the starter in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. However, he went a step further in explaining the entire hierarchy.
He also made it clear that the two rookies, Gabriel and Sanders, would be taking on the QB2 and QB3 roles, respectively, for the game against the Rams. For the time being, it seemed like those three names were secure on the team when the 53-man roster officially came out.
However, Sanders had a rough time against Los Angeles, including taking five brutal sacks. It put some doubt in people’s minds about his viability as a legitimate NFL quarterback. But the latest out of Cleveland suggests that they’re moving forward with their initial depth chart.
Pickett and Huntley were left as the two potential options for the team to cut. But it is going to be the latter who is cut from the roster, especially after the Browns invested a fifth-round pick, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson to bring the former Philadelphia Eagles backup to Cleveland.
Browns are releasing quarterback Tyler Huntley, per source. Cleveland has been planning to keep its other four QBs — Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — on its 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/t9tzlFzXKt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 24, 2025
Adam Schefter announced the news in a detailed post on X, as he stated, “Browns are releasing quarterback Tyler Huntley, per source. Cleveland has been planning to keep its other four QBs — Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders — on its 53-man roster.”
Huntley, though, was the one quarterback to get runs in all three preseason games. In Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, he threw for 51 yards and a touchdown while completing six of his eight passing attempts.
His numbers improved in Week 2 when he added 71 yards on 10 completions, before finishing with a single completed pass for seven yards against Los Angeles.
Huntley’s removal opens a spot on the roster, and it makes the pathway clearer for either of the two rookies to elevate themselves into the starting role, depending on how the year is faring for Flacco and the Browns franchise as a whole.
The Browns have yet to announce their QB2 for the upcoming season, so it remains to be seen whether Pickett or someone else will get the nod.
