The Cleveland Browns have a crowded, chaotic, and wildly interesting quarterback room.
There’s the highly paid, injured starter who’s out for the season. A grizzled vet who once got off the couch to lead the Browns to the playoffs. A once-promising prospect who’s already been released once and traded once. A lightly regarded quarterback prospect who spent six years in college, the Browns picked him in the third round. And finally, a highly touted prospect who was once expected to go as high as second overall but ended up falling to the fifth round.
Now, all head coach Kevin Stefanski and company have to do is figure out who will be the starter.
Does Shedeur Sanders Have a Chance of Winning the Starting Job in Cleveland?
Right now, quarterback Deshaun Watson is likely out for the year after re-rupturing his Achilles tendon. Even before the injury, the Browns were reportedly starting to sour on Watson, who has been mediocre, or worse, since signing his five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract in 2022.
Since arriving in Cleveland, he’s played in only 19 games, going 9-10 with an average passer rating of 80.3 across parts of three seasons.
In most situations, Kenny Pickett would be next up. The former first-round pick is entering the final year of his $14.07 million rookie contract and will count only $2.62 million against the cap in 2025. Pickett has a 15-10 record as a starter between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Coming out of college, many praised Pickett for his ball placement, pocket composure, and field vision. As a pro, he’s been more of a mixed bag — flashing in clutch moments but completing just 62.4% of his passes overall.
Then there’s Joe Flacco, the old pro, who sits somewhere in the middle of all this. Flacco has been a steadying influence in the locker room and quarterback room. His magical 2023 run included five straight games with more than 250 passing yards and at least two touchdowns, earning him the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award. He’s not a long-term solution, but he’s a valuable veteran presence if things go sideways.
It’s the last two quarterbacks that make things even more interesting.
The Browns took Gabriel in the third round — a pick that had some analysts saying the Browns blew it. Gabriel was a prolific college quarterback, playing six seasons at UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon. He finished his career with 18,722 passing yards (second in FBS history) and 155 touchdowns against just 32 interceptions. Impressive numbers, but many saw him as a reach here.
Then there’s Shedeur Sanders, whose dramatic fall was one of the biggest stories of the draft. Sanders entered the draft season considered one of the top two quarterbacks available, behind only Cam Ward. But a series of poor interviews and concerns about attitude and coachability may have contributed to his slide. Still, the Browns snagged him in the fifth round — a tremendous value pick.
Whether Sanders can compete for the starting job will depend on his polish and poise. He’s overflowing with confidence, but he must answer questions about how he handles coaching and fits into a professional locker room.
Let the competition begin.
