The competition for the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback job is getting closer to a final answer, with training camps just a month away and preseason kicking off in August. Shedeur Sanders has been the most talked-about name among the team’s quarterbacks and is certainly the rookie who drew the most attention this offseason.
However, his chances of landing the starting role might not be the strongest among the contenders. The tight competition between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders has sparked a range of opinions from analysts, and a former NFL wide receiver said he believes the final decision will come down to two players who might surprise many fans.
Shedeur Sanders Might Not Be in the Mix for the Browns’ QB1 Dispute
Since he was drafted, the narrative around Sanders has become one of the most intriguing in the NFL. Rarely does a fifth-round rookie draw as much attention as Sanders has, especially on a team that had already selected a quarterback in that same draft. But with Sanders, the situation is unlike anything we’ve seen before, which creates a gap between public perception and internal evaluation.
While fans and the media have high expectations for the quarterback, the Browns may be seeing something different in the prospect who was once projected to be a top pick. Former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh revealed that, according to his sources, Sanders isn’t even among the top two contenders for the starting job in 2025.
“I was told by somebody that’s in the building, that ain’t a player, it’s really coming down to Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel,” – @housh84 via @NightcapShow_ on the Browns QB competition.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/XjaCvewlma
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 26, 2025
“I was told by somebody that’s in the building, that ain’t a player, it’s really coming down to Kenny Pickett or Dillon Gabriel,” Houshmandzadeh said, via Nightcap Show.
Beyond Sanders, the report from the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver was surprising for leaving Flacco out of the race. Flacco is the most experienced quarterback on the roster, who performed well for the team in 2023, finishing his six-game stretch with four wins and an unexpected playoff berth.
What could give Pickett and Gabriel the edge are the resources the franchise invested to acquire them. Pickett was brought in through a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that sent a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson the other way, while Gabriel was the first quarterback selected by the Browns in the NFL Draft, taken in the third round.
While Flacco brings valuable experience, he could become a trade asset for a team in need of an immediate backup, and Sanders may need time to properly develop. Carrying four quarterbacks into the season is a possibility for Cleveland, but the more likely scenario is that one of the veterans gets moved to allow for a long-term developmental plan with the rookies.
