The Cleveland Browns are one of the most fascinating teams to watch this offseason thanks to their quarterback situation. After Deshaun Watson went down with a torn Achilles (and is expected to miss the entire 2025 season), Cleveland had to find a new signal-caller. As a result, they now have four options on the roster, with a competition underway to determine their QB1.
Joe Flacco, a veteran and former Super Bowl champion, seemingly leads the way. However, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, alongside former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, are trying to cement their positions in the league. With no clear answer in sight, Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy, fresh off a breakout 2024 campaign, revealed his feelings about the QB room.
Does Jerry Jeudy Have a Favorite Between Shedeur Sanders, Joe Flacco, and Co.?
After an electric career at Alabama, Jeudy came into the league as a first-round pick for the Denver Broncos. However, his career never reached the same heights in the Mile High City. In four seasons, he never tallied more than 972 yards in a single season, and had just 11 total touchdowns to his credit.
As a result, the Broncos traded him to Cleveland in exchange for a fifth-round pick and sixth-round pick. The deal turned out to be an absolute steal for the Browns, as Jeudy turned in a stellar 2024 campaign (regardless of his Madden rating).
Setting the franchise’s single-season receptions record with 90, he tallied a career-high 1,229 yards and four touchdowns while earning the first Pro Bowl nod of his career. Going into this season, he’s expected to be a major factor in how their new QB rotation pans out.
But before the season gets underway, Jeudy was a guest on the “Nightcap” podcast alongside NFL legend Chad Johnson and Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. Among other topics, he discussed Cleveland’s current QB competition.
“The biggest thing I’m thankful for is having four great quarterbacks that go out there and compete every day,” Jeudy said.
He remained steadfast when Johnson tried to push him to pick a favorite.
“I’m telling you what it is, man,” Jeudy said. “They’ve all been doing their thing, for real.”
Instead, his focus was solely on his role.
“My job is to make it easy [for] whoever at the helm, I’m just going to get open for him and do my thing,” Jeudy said, adding that he is leaving the decision up to the coaching staff to decide.
So far, the race between the four quarterbacks has been extremely tight. Ahead of training camp, ESPN Cleveland compiled the statistics from their performances during all open OTAs and the mandatory minicamp.
While Sanders was the most accurate with 41 of 53 completions and nine touchdowns, he was also the only quarterback who threw an interception. Flacco added two touchdowns in 35 pass attempts while completing 18, whereas Pickett had seven touchdowns on 38 of 63 passing. Gabriel also had a solid showing, adding eight touchdowns while connecting on 48 of 83 pass attempts.
1 week from today we will have the first QB tracker from Browns training camp 2025.
Here’s how all 4 QBs performed in open OTA and mandatory minicamp practice. pic.twitter.com/Gr90dJR1AW
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 16, 2025
However, the stats on their own can be misleading. For example, it’s worth noting that Sanders received the fewest first-team reps, so while it’s impressive how well he fared while throwing to backups, it’s also likely that he was facing the second-team defense.
Ultimately, it will be up to two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski to decide about the QB1 spot. Stefanski’s choice for the 2025 season might also determine the long-term future of the position in Cleveland.
Why Does Maggie Gray Believe Cleveland Browns Will Cut Ties With Shedeur Sanders?
Before they suit up, Sanders has been involved in the Browns’ quarterback competition throughout the summer. Rookie training camp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp have all seen the fifth-round pick try to establish himself in the pecking order.
So far, the reports on him have been wholly positive, both on and off the field. However, even after a promising start, his spot on the roster is nowhere near guaranteed. As a result, Maggie Gray believes Sanders could be cut from the roster before the season begins.
“You think Shedeur’s spot on this roster is way more on firmer ground than I do,” Gray argued, before pointing to the signals from Cleveland as the reason for her skepticism. “It’s a crowded quarterback room, and the messaging coming out of the Browns the moment after they took Shedeur was, ‘This was a low-risk, no-risk. We’re not tied to him at all.’”
From that standpoint, it isn’t hard to assume that the Browns choose to go in a different direction by the time the season rolls around. Keeping five roster spots for quarterbacks is a big ask for any organization with the physicality and pitfalls of the NFL.
Training Camp Takes Center Stage: Battles Beyond Quarterback
While Cleveland’s quarterback contest is generating all the preseason buzz, the Browns enter training camp with position battles and storylines up and down the roster. Stefanski, facing one of his most pivotal camps, emphasized that every spot is being evaluated, not just QB1.
Wide receiver remains another focal point beyond Jeudy’s established star status. With Amari Cooper moving on, newcomers like Diontae Johnson and developing talents such as Cedric Tillman and Jamari Thrash are vying for bigger pieces of the passing game.
As Stefanski’s staff installs the offense, chemistry between whichever quarterback wins the job and this young receiver group will be crucial. Questions also linger in the backfield, where third-round pick Quinshon Judkins and free agent Dylan Sampson are in the spotlight, hoping to revive a rushing attack that lagged near the bottom of the league last season. However, Judkins has more important questions surrounding his NFL career after a domestic violence arrest.
